We offer free legal accompaniment for all survivors who have been sexually assaulted. This includes support in making a police report, accompaniments to all legal proceedings and referrals to legal services.

Reporting a Sexual Assault

• Reports must be made in the town in which the assault occurred. If the town is far away, contact your local police department first.
• The statute of limitations, or the length of time a person has to make a criminal report of rape, is generally 15 years. However, if a person was assaulted before the age of sixteen and has never made a report, s/he has fifteen years from his or her sixteenth birthday to report the assault (until age 31). If the assault was already reported to the police when the survivor was under the age of sixteen, the survivor then has fifteen years from the date of this first report to press charges. The statute has been extended to 27 years in some instances. Contact your local District Attorney's office for more information about this.
• The criminal statute of limitations for indecent assault and battery (forced touching without penetration) is 7 years.
• The civil statute of limitations, or the time a person has to bring a civil lawsuit for rape, is three years. Unlike a criminal case which may result in jail time for the perpetrator, a civil suit seeks financial compensation for losses incurred as a result of the crime.
• It is better to report as soon as possible so that evidence may be collected.
• If a person makes a police report, s/he may be eligible for Victim Compensation through the state of Massachusetts. This is available to reimburse survivors for medical and mental health expenses as well as loss of wages due to the crime.