Time to Reporting Assault
If you’ve been accused of a sexual assault in Washington, DC, or any other area of the US, it’s always important to know and understand your reporting time limits. Assault is a type of felony, which means that even if you are cleared of all charges, that doesn’t mean that you can skip town on your trip to court. Your case may be dropped, depending on the severity of the accusation, so knowing what your rights are can really come in handy.
Under DC law, there is a reporting assault time limit for any type of physical assault, regardless of the degree or type of assault. For example, if you were beaten by your ex and then took pictures of the attack, but didn’t report it, that’s not grounds for a false report. However, if you were assaulted by an object during the commission of a sexual assault, you may have additional reporting options. Reporting an assault involves filing a police report, getting a witness to corroborate your account and then turning over the evidence to the police. Only after the police investigation finds that there is probable cause to charge you with a sex offense, can you go to court to enter a plea.
If you’re being investigated for a sexual assault, regardless of whether it happened in Washington, DC, or another state, you should make sure to talk to the investigating officer as soon as possible after the incident. Sometimes you are able to leave the station immediately after the physical assault investigation is complete, but sometimes you have to stay for the interviewing process. Always make sure that you’re aware of your rights during this time, because if you don’t, you may find yourself facing a criminal trial without much hope.
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During the interview with the detective who is looking into your case, be sure to thoroughly give him/her all the details of the event. You want to be clear on whether you were the victim in a sexual assault or whether you are accusing the man who was arrested of attempted rape. Ask as many questions as you can think of, even if the answers don’t add up to anything significant. This will help the detective determine whether there is any probable cause to charge you with a crime. If you were not able to report your own version of the events that night, you can always consult with a friend or relative to provide details about what occurred that night.
If you’re pressed for time, there are other resources available to you. One is the National Sexual Assault Online Registry, which offers a national database of sexual assaults. In order to search for an assault or for information regarding its perpetrators, you will need to register. Registered victims can get detailed reports about their attacker, such as his/her address, age, social security number and more. If you wish to view the database, all you need to do is visit the website listed below.
Reporting an assault can be a harrowing experience, but it doesn’t have to ruin your life. If you’ve been a victim in the past, you can seek justice from those who are responsible. And if you’re a current victim, there are resources available to you as well. You can report a sexual assault, but you can also get the help you need from a support group or by contacting the man charged with attempted child sexual assault.