Actions Rape Victims Should Take To Protect Themselves And Get Justice

Rape victim

Rape is a type of sexual assault against a minor. It can be against someone of same or opposite gender, by one or more persons. There are laws meant to protect us from predators. Unfortunately, the implementation of the law is not strong. This may be the reason why the number of new cases is on the increase yearly.
There are more rape acts against girls (women) from boys (men) and girls (women) than against boys (men) from boys (men) and girls (women). For that, we will focus on the steps female rape victims can take to protect themselves after the attack and how to gather evidence against the culprit. However, the tips here can also be of help to other rape victims.
Read Also: Why Early Puberty In Children Unlike Our Time

Steps To Follow After A Rape Incidence

What to do after a rape

Be Safe

After a rape act, the actor may try to kill the victim to hide their identity. This is because major rape cases happen between people who knows each other. The first attempt by the victim is to get to a safe place. This can be at home or the nearest police station or any other place looks safe.

Confide In A Trusted Person

The option is open to talk or remain silent. Talking to an understanding person help to relieve the trauma. It is better talking than keeping quiet. Choose the right person to talk to. Many at times, our police may make the victim feel like the guilty one. They may even probe too far asking more sensitive irrelevant questions that will not even help the case. In that case, the police may not be the best to hear the story. A close friend or related that will not act rash or irrational is better. Such one must be able and willing to keep all information to themselves about the case except with the permission of the victim to disclose it to a third party.

Decision Time

Do you want justice or not? If yes, there are things you need to follow. However, you must protect yourself from infection and possible unwanted pregnancy.

Justice

For justice to be serve raw and cold, you need evidence of the incidence. For that, you must not wash and bath yourself until told to do so by the law. Gather all the evidence you can think off. This include torn underwear, body injury, photograph, etc. Visit the nearest hospital for a physical examination. They do not need to know much details as to the incidence as some nurses and Medical doctors may want to know more than they need to know to do their work. The only thing they should know is if there was penetration, which orifice if there was penetration and if condom was use. That will guide them on what next to do. They will take samples of body parts like hair samples, swab culture, ultrasound, x-rays and CT scan. The result will show if there was penetration, injury and presence of semen with DNA test to prove who owns it. With this, it is very possible to nab the culprit.
Read Also: How To Delay Or Prevent Period For Girls

Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP)

At the hospital, they will also have to protect the victim from unwanted pregnancy and diseases. This should be the very day it happened. This involve testing for different prevalent sexually transmitted disease in the area. Some are Chlamydia, gonorrhea and Human Immunodeficiency Deficiency Syndrome (H.I.V). An immediate preventive measure is initiated against those infection. Also, drugs to prevent pregnancy will be administered. To confirm the person is disease free after some weeks, another round of test is conducted. This is necessary especially in the case of HIV that takes about 3 months before it can be detected in the body. Sorry I did not mention counseling because it is not a common practice here in Nigeria. However, victims who can have access to a good counselor should do to help minimise the trauma.
Rape victims suffer a lot from trauma mostly not from the act but how the culprit and the society will view them. They are usually scared who have heard or not. However, to fight the incidence of rape will require all to understand that no-one is exempted as it can happen to anyone. The actors should be shame and not the victim.
Share On Social Media With Family And Friends To Show You Care!