After a Crime: Reporting and Recovery
Reporting
Being a crime victim is a traumatic experience, and Tulane offers many resources to help victims move to the mental and emotional status of survivor. When a crime has happened to you, report it as soon as possible. This may seem obvious, but victimized and confused people often find it difficult to make decisions. Call the university's public safety office, the local police department or someone else who can offer support and assist in reviewing possible options. Seek a safe location or lock the door once the attacker has left. Preserve evidence. This advice may offer valuable legal options if a complainant wishes later to bring charges against the attacker. If you have been the victim of a sexual assault, do not urinate, shower, discard clothing or disturb anything the attacker may have handled. Victims of rape or sexual assault are also encouraged to seek medical attention and use the helping resources with the Tulane and New Orleans community. These resources can help to shorten the process of recovery. All crime victims have options in confronting their aggressor. The choice listed below speak directly to victims of sexual aggression but can apply to all crime victims.
Report the incident to the Tulane Department of Public Safety.
We offer the option of helping the complainant report the incident to the New Orleans Police Department, or investigating the case ourselves. In the latter case, we will make a report of the investigation and refer it to the Office of Student Affairs, which is responsible for adjudicating the complaint under the Student Code of Conduct - organizes a hearing process, renders a finding, imposes possible sanctions, and informs the complainant and person charged of it s findings. Neither the public safety department nor the student affairs office will release a complainant's name to the public or the press. Remember the Office of Victim Resources will assist you in exercising any of these listed options. Silent Witness
Report the incident to the New Orleans Police Department.
After receiving the report of a rape, NOPD will send two uniformed officers to verify that a rape of sexual assault has occurred. Once the complaint is verified, members of the NOPD Rape Squad will arrive and interview the complainant. The officers will recommend a rape and medical exam to determine and treat injuries, prevent pregnancy and begin testing for sexually transmitted diseases. The doctor also collects evidence that will be admissible in court. The complainant will be asked to press formal charges against the attacker; then a police report will be forwarded to the district attorney's office, which will accept or reject the charges. If the charges are accepted, the case then continues through the criminal legal system.
Report the incident to the New Orleans Police Department and the Tulane Department of Public Safety and go through both systems of redress.
Decline to report the rape or sexual assualt to any police agency.
Mediation and written forms of confrontation.
Explore options of confronting the attacker that do not involve the criminal justice system or the university's code of conduct.
Recovery
The issue in life isn't whether we will experience tragedy; the issue is how will we recover from it? As a victim of a crime it is helpful to recognize that the experience is traumatic. Feeling violated and vulnerable because someone has forcefully entered your private space and rifled through personal belongings is an understandable reaction to property crime. Fear that other types of crime may happen is also a common reaction. Responses to a crime may range from sleep or appetite problems which are temporary to problems of concentration and irritability. Most of these symptoms may gradually fade after talking with friends, family or a counselor. If you have been a victim of a personal crime by a stranger or acquaintance that involved a physical, armed or sexually aggressive confrontation, we encourage you to seek support. Any member of the Tulane community who has been the victim of a crime has access to a wide range of services through the Office of Crime Prevention and Victim Resources, including referral to rape-aware counselors and counseling groups on and off campus, advice on safe housing, help with personal security concerns and academic assistance. They or other members of the university community will be available to meet with family members upon the request of the complainant to help answer questions and give family and friends suggestions on how to support a crime victim. All services listed in the next section are confidential.