Victim Assistance
If you have been sexually assaulted, it is important that you seek help immediately. The District has provided a number of ways for you to get assistance, and you can choose the one(s) with which you feel most comfortable.
If you are sexually assaulted:
- Go to a safe place that has a phone.
- Call the police, rape crisis hotline, and a friend or family member.
- Tell someone.
- DO NOT
- wash hands
- bathe
- shower
- douche
- change clothes or straighten up the area.
- This destroys evidence.
Sexual Assault Response Information
If you have been sexually assaulted, it is important that you seek help immediately. The District has provided a number of ways for you to get assistance, and you can choose the one(s) that you feel most comfortable with. This section outlines the procedures the campus follows in responding to reports of sexual assault. It assumes that the incident occurred on or near campus. Many of the procedures and services described here also apply if the incident happens off campus or if the individual reporting the assault is not a student or staff member. The emergency telephone numbers are 9-1-1 (from campus extensions), 911 from pay telephones (no coins required), or (310) 660-3100 from a cellular telephone.
Police officers have your well being as their primary concern. Members of the police department have had specialized training in handling sexual assault cases and treat you with respect and sensitivity. They will ensure that you are taken promptly to a physician for medical care and, if appropriate, collection of vital evidence required for proof of possible criminal activity. When an incident is reported to the Campus Health Center, the individual to whom the report is made shall inform the victim of her or his option to notify the El Camino College Police Department or the local police department of the incident. The victim shall also be informed of the importance of preserving evidence required for proof of possible criminal activity and of the availability of the institutional personnel to assist the victim in notifying the authorities of the incident, upon the victim's request. The victim shall also be informed of the existing on and off campus counseling, mental health, and other resources availability.
If the victim is willing to report the incident to the Police Department, he or she is informed that medical evidence can be collected at the same time as medical care is provided, but that medical evidence for criminal prosecution cannot be collected without a report being made to the police. Under these circumstances, the victim is informed that the State will bear the cost of the medical exam and is instructed not to bathe, shower, or douche so that important medical evidence can be preserved. Although the victim is not required to notify the law enforcement agency regarding the incident, the person to whom the report is being made shall contact the police department to inform them that a sexual assault may have occurred so that they can coordinate the campus' response to the incident.
After the El Camino Police Department is contacted, a uniformed officer will be dispatched to take the report. The victim may request a male or female officer to take the report and this request will be accommodated whenever possible. With the consent of the victim, a full police report will be taken by a campus police officer who accompanies the victim to the hospital. At the request of the victim, a friend, family member or other designated person may be present. The officer will accompany the victim to the hospital. The officer will advise the victim regarding hospital procedures and the availability of assistance through the Campus Health Center and the Santa Monica Rape Treatment Center. An El Camino Police Officer will be assigned to further investigate the criminal allegations and explain the legal process to the victim. The officer shall present a completed written investigation to the District Attorney's office for review and filing of criminal charges.
If the victim is unwilling to report the matter to the police or to be transported to the hospital by the police, he or she is then urged to seek assistance immediately from the Campus Health Center or the Santa Monica Rape Treatment Center for coordination of medical care and assistance counseling, and other available support alternatives. The victim is also informed that he or she may seek the assistance of the Santa Monica Rape Treatment Center for advocacy support and assistance throughout the complaint process.
If the victim is a student, he or she may request changes in his or her academic situation or that of the alleged assailant, after the victim has made a report of an assault, and the campus shall grant any reasonable request for such change. When a student reports being sexually assaulted by another student, the Dean of Students shall conduct a timely investigation of the allegations into a possible violation of the Standards of Student Conduct in the case and interview any witnesses as needed. The individual charged with sexual assault is entitled to due process and will be given notice and a full opportunity to respond to the allegation made against her or him. The individual can seek representation, may have the same opportunity as the student who reported being assaulted to have a non-participating observer present during the proceedings, and is entitled to information about the campus policy on rape and sexual assault and the procedures that will be followed to address the issues. If the District imposes disciplinary sanctions, the student who reports being sexually assaulted is informed of the outcome, and the charged student may appeal the action as set forth in the Standards for Student Conduct.
Reporting is your choice.
If you do not report, try to write down the details of the assault and save them in case you change your mind. Whether you report or not, get medical attention for treatment of external and/or internal injuries and test for sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy.
Take time to recover.
Get counseling.