You Have Options: SARCs Explained
What a Sexual Assault Referral Centre Is
Your options, your rights - and support on your terms
After sexual assault, even simple choices can feel heavy. There may be urgency around your body and uncertainty about what comes next. Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) exist to provide care without demands - offering medical support, evidence preservation, and clear information, while leaving decisions in your hands. This piece sets out what a SARC is, how it works, and what your rights are, so you can move at your own pace, with support around you.
What is a SARC - and what are your rights?
If you’ve been raped or sexually assaulted, you don’t have to face it alone - and you don’t have to decide everything at once. A Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) exists to give you medical care, practical support, and choices, without pressure.
This is what you need to know.
What is a SARC?
A Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) is a specialist NHS service that supports people who have experienced rape or sexual assault - regardless of gender, age, background, or when the assault happened.
SARCs are usually provided by the NHS and often work alongside charities such as Rape Crisis, but they are not police stations and are not dependent on you reporting to the police.
You can attend a SARC even if:
You’re unsure what you want to do
You don’t want to report
The assault happened days ago
You’re not a UK resident
What support can a SARC provide?
At a SARC, you can access:
Urgent medical care for injuries
Emergency contraception
Free STI testing and treatment
Forensic medical examination (if you choose)
Evidence storage (even if you don’t report now)
Emotional and practical support
Access to an Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA)
All of this is free and confidential.
You do NOT have to report to the police
This matters, and it’s often misunderstood:
You do not have to report to the police to attend a SARC
You can have forensic evidence collected without reporting
Evidence can be stored safely, giving you time to decide later
You stay in control - always
A SARC is about care first, decisions later.
Forensic medical examinations - your choice, your pace
A forensic medical examination can help preserve evidence if you later decide to report. But:
You are never required to have one
You can say yes to some parts and no to others
You can change your mind at any time
It happens at your pace, with trained clinicians
Examinations are carried out by doctors or nurses trained in sexual assault forensic medicine, in private, purpose-built centres.
Even if the assault happened more than a week ago, it is still worth contacting a SARC for advice.
“ A SARC is a strange in-between space. It has to be clinical, procedural, and precise - but it is held together by people who are anything but cold. You arrive at your most vulnerable, knowing your body may be examined, swabbed, and searched for answers you didn’t choose to need. It can feel exposing, even overwhelming. What softens that experience is the care: staff who speak quietly, explain everything, and treat your body with respect rather than suspicion. You are asked, not told. You are checked in with, not rushed. In a place built for evidence, you are still seen as a person first”
- Jade Blue
If you’re unsure about reporting
If you’re undecided, a SARC can:
Store forensic evidence
Arrange an informal, no-pressure conversation with a specially trained police officer (optional)
Connect you with an ISVA who can talk through options without pushing you in any direction
An ISVA can also support you emotionally and practically whether or not you report.
If you do report to the police
If you choose to report:
A specially trained police officer should support you
The police investigation may include your forensic evidence and statement
The case is passed to the Crown Prosecution Service to decide next steps
An ISVA can support you through the entire process, including court
Reporting is your choice - and support should continue regardless of the outcome.
Confidentiality: what happens to your information?
Your information is kept confidential wherever possible
If there is no police investigation, your details are not shared without your consent (unless there is a serious risk of harm)
If there is a prosecution, relevant material may be legally disclosable in court
A SARC should always explain this clearly and answer your questions.
If your drink was spiked
If you think your drink was spiked - with or without sexual assault:
Go to a SARC as soon as possible for specialist care
Evidence of spiking can sometimes be detected
You can also contact A+E, your GP, or call NHS 111
You can report spiking to the police even if no assault occurred
Supporting someone who’s been assaulted
If someone tells you they’ve been assaulted:
Believe them
Listen without asking for details
Don’t ask “why” questions
Respect their choices
Offer practical help (appointments, transport, company)
Ask before touching - even hugs
Your response can make a lasting difference.
How to access a SARC
You can:
Self-refer directly to your nearest SARC - follow this link https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/sexual-health-services/find-a-rape-and-sexual-assault-referral-centre
Ask a GP, A+E, or police officer to refer you
If you are in immediate danger or need urgent medical help, call 999.
Why this matters
SARCs exist so that care is not conditional on courage, and support is not dependent on certainty.
You are allowed to:
take time
change your mind
seek care without explanation
put your wellbeing first
