The police respond to wherever the victim is when a sexual assault is reported. If the victim calls from their residence then an officer will arrive to take an initial report and encourage the victim to go to the hospital for a rape study. Sometimes the victim goes to the hospital first and we, the police, are notified by hospital personnel there is a victim who needs to file a report. Usually a patrol officer will be sent to take the initial report and determine if a Detective needs to be called in right away.     Time is a big factor along with disturbance of the area where the assault took place. Depending upon how long it has been since the assault occurred and  if there is evidence that can be collected, other then the rape study, a detective will want to go to the scene where the assault took place and collect any articles of clothing, bed linen, condoms or anything related to the assault and bag it as evidence.   Once the rape study is completed, if a study was performed, the detective will have the victim come to the police station to give a formal typed statement of what happened. Also depending upon the severity of the victims injuries and if the assailant's whereabouts is known an Officer may bring the assailant in for questioning right away. This is sometimes done while the victim is at the hospital.  Sometimes the assailant is not approached until a full statement has been given to the Detective by the victim. Once the Detective has gotten a full statement from both the victim and suspect then the initial case report along with the Detectives report plus all statements will be sent to the Prosecutors office and the Prosecutor will decide what if any charges can be filed.

2. What if this happened to a friend who is afraid to talk to the police?

A concerned friend can always come and talk with a detective and everything will remain confidential. The friend will be advised of the options available to the victim and explain the investigation process and encourage her to at least contact Victim Services if she doesn't want to contact the Police.

3. I want to file a report but it's been awhile since the assault, how long do I have to file?

There is really no time limit to file a report.  As with any crime the earlier it is reported the more likely you are to have physical evidence that will help prosecute the suspect. In my experience as a responding officer and as a Detective following up on a case if several hours to days have passed before the assault is reported the loss of evidence can determine if a case is prosecutable. Yet that doesn't mean we will not do everything in our power to investigate it to the fullest.

4. What if I just want a "record" of the assault, but do not necessarily want charges to be filed?

A report can be made and kept on file at the police station if that is what the victim wants to do. I would encourage a victim to this if they are having any reservations about reporting the incident. Even though the case doesn't go to the prosecutor's office at that time, doesn't mean it can't be sent down at a later date if the victim changes her mind. It is always better to have investigated it and put it aside for awhile rather then not to report it.

5. How can I get in touch with a BSU investigator?

You can call the main number for the Ball State University Police which is  285-1111 and ask to talk to a detective. But remember you do not have to report an assault directly to a detective. Any officer can take the initial report and then a detective will be notified and can be called in if not already on duty.