How Do Police Investigate Historic Abuse?
Childhood abuse is, unfortunately, more common than you might think. Due to the shame and confusion that experiencing abuse causes, many survivors of childhood abuse do not speak up about what happened to them until much later in life, if they come forward at all.
It takes a lot of courage to report abuse to the police and participate in an investigation or court case.
How do you report non-recent abuse?
To report historic abuse to the police, call the non-emergency number on 101. Ask to speak to a trained specialist about historic abuse and they can put you in touch with the right team.
They will listen to you and take down the report and explain the options for how to proceed. If a police investigation goes ahead, you will be assigned a Sexual Offence Liaison Officer and undergo a recorded interview with them.
You might also have a medical examination.
Can you report abuse to the police if the abuser is dead?
In many cases of historic abuse, adult survivors will eventually report their abuser in order to obtain a sense of closure. If the abuser has since passed away, there is no risk of abuse to anyone else, but that doesn’t mean that their victims shouldn’t report them.
Police can still investigate to find out if anyone involved in perpetrating the abuse is still alive and ensure that they face justice. They can also find other victims to corroborate the pattern of abuse.
How can you prove historic abuse?
One of the reasons that adult survivors are reluctant to report historic abuse is that when years or even decades have passed, it is extremely difficult to obtain evidence proving that the abuse took place. Without physical evidence, it becomes one person’s word against the other’s, which may not be enough to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the reported abuse occurred.
This is why it becomes necessary to consult witnesses and historical documents.
What happens when police investigate historic abuse?
Once you report historical abuse and agree to support a police investigation, a dedicated officer will communicate with you about the case and what you need to do. This will include participating in recorded interviews and providing any evidence that can support your report.
The police will send your case to the Crown Prosecution Service if there is enough evidence, and they will decide whether the case should go to court, which you would have to attend.
Where can you get support for historic abuse?
When you report historic abuse to the police, they can put you in touch with other specialist organisations that can help you. There are many charities and groups which offer helplines or counselling services for survivors of childhood abuse.
It is your choice to seek out support just as it is your choice to report to the police. When you file a police report about the abuse, this could also enable you to apply for Child Abuse Compensation.
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