A sexual assault is any sexual act that a person did not consent to, or is forced into against their will. It is a form of sexual violence and includes rape (an assault involving penetration of the vagina, anus or mouth), or other sexual offences, such as groping, forced kissing, child sexual abuse or the torture of a person in a sexual manner.

Sexual assault is an act that is carried out without the victim's active consent. This means they didn't agree to it.

It is not uncommon for a victim of sexual assault to have no physical injuries or signs of their assault. But sexual assault is still a crime and can be reported to the police in the same way as other crimes. 

Sexual violence or assault can happen to anyone of any age: men, women and children.

Find out what support there is if you feel that you may have been sexually assaulted.

If you think that you know someone who has been sexually assaulted and would like to know how to support them, go to our ' I think I know someone who has been sexually assaulted' page.  
 



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There are two ways you can tell us what happened