From report to court: my timeline after reporting rape
Going through the criminal justice system is something that no one should ever have to go through, and something that most of us have never been through before. As well as professional guidance and advice based on what I learned, a friend mentioned that it might be useful to add a timeline of my experience to give a real life example of what it actually all looks like day-to-day. Each victim’s example and timeline will be different and everyone’s journey is unique, but I hope it helps make things more real and less scary.
This is my personal timeline, I do not know the exact timeline for the wider investigation or for the perpetrator. My timeline focusses on the criminal justice system specifically and doesn't include communications with wider victim support services.
If you have a timeline or journey that you’d like to share, please head to the contact page.
Key dates on my road to justice
19 July 2019 - The attack
19 July 2019 & 20 July 2019 - Initial police contact and evidence gathering (at my flat)
20 July 2019 - Dedicated Sexual Offences Investigation Trained (SOIT) police officer assigned to my case
20 July 2019 - My medical examination (at specialist facility)
20 July 2019 - My video statement is recorded (at the police station)
22 July 2019 - I’m called in for identification lineup 1 (screen-based - at local police station. I could not make a positive identification)
24 July 2019 - DNA match & perpetrator identified
25 July 2019 - I’m called in for identification lineup 2 (screen-based - at local police station. I could not make a positive identification)
25 July 2019 - Perpetrator arrested
26 July 2019 - Perpetrator appears in court and charged with rape
The next few months dragged on, the defendant pled not guilty. He attended court a few times for various reasons and I continued to help the police with the investigation. This involved a few visits to the police station, phone calls with my liaison officer and the handing over of various records and personal information. I also started therapy during this time. The court dates for the trail were set as 20/01/20-24/01/20 at a Crown Court.
8 Jan 2020 - My pre-trial court visit to get a tour of the building and to know what to expect
19 Jan 2020 - My allocated time to rewatch original video statement (at the police station)
20 Jan 2020 - I attended court but proceedings were slightly behind schedule so my slot got pushed to the following day
21 Jan 2020 - I attended court to give evidence and be cross-examined by the defence
27 Jan 2020 - Perpetrator found guilty by the jury
19 Feb 2020 - I wrote my Victim Personal Statement / VPS (at police station)
6 Mar 2020 - Perpetrator sentenced