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Sexual Assault

Queensland Health’s role in responding to recent victims of sexual assault is to provide medical care, forensic medical examinations, sexual health assistance, crisis counselling and information. These responses are provided by public hospitals, the Clinical Forensic Medicine Unit (CMFU) and may include specialist sexual assault teams. The extent and nature of this care varies across health service districts in accordance with local procedures and resources.

Assistance and care in the acute phase includes:

  • medical treatment
  • collection and documentation of medico-legal evidence where appropriate
  • sexual health information and treatment
  • information about rights as a victim of crime
  • information about reporting to police and legal processes
  • support and information extended to support networks.

Caring for people disclosing sexual assault

Queensland Health's role in supporting victims of sexual assault is set out in the health service directive Caring for people disclosing sexual assault (PDF, 257KB), which came into effect on 22 July 2019.

The directive also introduced the option for an adult, who has not reported their assault to police, to have a forensic examination just in case they decide to make a complaint to police later. Special custody arrangements have been introduced for samples collected from the just in case forensic examinations which will be stored, untested for up to 12 months.

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Last updated: 26 August 2019

Help, assistance and contacts

If you have been sexually assaulted recently or in the past and would like assistance, you can contact any of the following for support:

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