MEDSAC want to remind people that Sexual Assault and Treatment Services (SAATS) are free and that they are all over the country. Spokesperson for MEDSAC and GP Dr Susanna Kent commented: “We know that over 90% of sexual assaults are not reported to police. Our services are free and there for everyone – you do not have to report to police. You can get referred to us by your GP, Emergency Department, After Hours service, Mental health service, or by many of the agencies such as Help or Rape Crisis.”

These services are staffed by doctors and nurses who have undergone specialist forensic training in sexual violence. “ They know that the most important thing is to give people choices and to respect those choices.”

We are obviously only seeing a tiny proportion of people who have experienced sexual violence, given that the most recent NZ Crime and Victims Survey 2019 found that one quarter of the entire adult population of Aotearoa experiences some form of sexual violence during their lifetime.

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