Reporting Options
Full Report to Law Enforcement
Partial Report to Law Enforcement
Anonymous Report to Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner
If you are unsure how or if you want to report, please contact a confidential advocate. An advocate is your best resource for creating a reporting plan that makes the most sense for you and prioritizes your safety and wellbeing. Anyone can speak with a confidential advocate.
For those under the age of 18 or to report the sexual assault of a person under the age of 18, you can contact Project Harmony.
Full
Report
A full report to law enforcement gives you the option to work with a sexual assault investigator on a possible criminal investigation and prosecution. If you decide to speak with an investigator and/or participate in an investigation, you can typically request to pause or stop the process at any time.
There are two ways to begin a full report to law enforcement: contacting law enforcement directly or going to a hospital that has a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Program.
- If you contact law enforcement directly, an officer will meet you at a place, date and time decided by you to take an initial report. The officer will ask you some questions to get a general overview of what happened. They will also attempt to identify where it occurred and protect evidence at the location. When speaking with law enforcement, know that you should have privacy and that you can always take a break. If you have not yet received medical care, the officer may offer to transport or meet you at a hospital.
- If you go to a hospital before contacting law enforcement, a hospital provider can contact law enforcement for you if you tell them you want to make a full report to law enforcement. An officer will meet you at the hospital to take an initial report.
At the hospital, a SANE will be available to provide a sexual assault forensic exam and care for your needs. You will have access to advocacy, evidence collection and treatment. After the exam is complete, your sexual assault kit will be collected by law enforcement and sent to the crime lab to test for DNA. Law enforcement will contact you with any results and work with you on a possible criminal investigation and prosecution. See follow up services for more information on the next steps.
Partial Report
If you want to access medical care but are undecided about whether you want to do a full report to law enforcement, you can choose the option of a partial report. With a partial report, you will only be asked to report your name and contact information (in addition to any other information of your choosing) to law enforcement. Just like with a full law enforcement report, a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) will be available to provide you with a sexual assault forensic exam and care for your needs at a hospital. You will have access to advocacy, evidence collection and treatment. Law enforcement will send your sexual assault kit to the crime lab for testing and may contact you if your case is found to be connected to other cases. If you would like to know the results, you can request them from law enforcement by contacting them directly.
You can decide to change to a full report to law enforcement and move forward with an investigation at a later point by notifying law enforcement. You will then be contacted by a sexual assault investigator. See follow up services for more information on the next steps.
Anonymous Reporting
If you do not want to report any personal information to law enforcement, you also have the option of an anonymous report. With an anonymous report, you will not be required to provide any identifying information to law enforcement. Just like with a full law enforcement report or a partial report, a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) will be available to provide you with a sexual assault forensic exam and care for your needs at a hospital. You will have access to advocacy, evidence collection and treatment. Your sexual assault kit will not be sent to the crime lab for testing, but it will be maintained by law enforcement for 20 years. So, if you change your mind at a later point you can always contact law enforcement and ask to have your kit tested and case investigated.
NOTE: There are limitations on who can report anonymously. Learn more here.
OPTION 1: Contact a confidential advocate
They will direct you to the appropriate local emergency room that can care for survivors of sexual assault and walk you through the process of receiving medical care.
- Douglas County: Call the Women’s Center for Advancement’s (WCA) 24/7 confidential hotline at 402-345-7273. Spanish speaking advocates are also available.
- Sarpy County: Call Heartland Family Service’s (HFS) 24/7 confidential hotline at 800-523-3666.
Both programs will provide basic advocacy services even if you reside in a different county.
OPTION 2: Contact or go directly to your local emergency room
If you do not want to speak with a confidential advocate, you can also call a local emergency room directly. Once you identify that you have been sexually assaulted, they will help you through the process. You can also go directly to your local emergency room and identify that you have been sexually assaulted.
If you are Active Duty Military or their adult dependent, you may wish to engage in restricted reporting which is the military’s version of anonymous reporting. Please contact a military advocate for more information.
Can I Still Report Anonymously if I Contact Law Enforcement?
If you contact law enforcement directly, know that you have the right to learn about your reporting options before providing them with any information about the incident. In other words, you can decline to report the incident once a law enforcement officer has told you about your options. However, if you report any identifying information (name, date of birth, etc.) or information about the incident (location, time, etc.) to law enforcement, you are no longer making an anonymous report.
For those under the age of 18 or to report the sexual assault of a person under the age of 18, please contact Project Harmony. To report in Nebraska, call 1-800-552-1999.
Where Can You Seek Help?
Support is available to you.