Escrow
a safe place to put what happened

If you are in danger right now, call your local emergency number. Escrow is not an emergency service.

city guide · Massachusetts · United States

How to report sexual assault in Boston

This is what we have read and stored about reporting in Boston. Read only the part you need. You do not have to decide anything today.

Checked against official sources on 31 August 2026.

the emergency number

911

If you are in danger right now, call this number. Escrow is not an emergency service and cannot send anyone to you.

where to report

Call 911, or call the Boston Police Department's Sexual Assault Unit directly at 617-343-4400, to report a sexual assault. You can also start at a hospital emergency room, where you can be examined and cared for, and the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC) has medical advocates who can meet you there.

what to bring

You do not need to report to the police to have evidence collected at the hospital using a Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kit, according to the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center.

the exam window

You can be examined and have evidence collected at an emergency room within 5 days, which is 120 hours, of an assault. A toxicology kit is available within 96 hours if drugs or alcohol may have been involved. The state covers the cost of the forensic exam, so you should not be billed unless you choose to use your own insurance.

the deadline

Massachusetts generally requires a prosecution for rape to begin within 15 years of the offence, under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 277, Section 63. If you were under 16 at the time, the 15 years do not start until you turn 16 or report to the police, whichever happens first.

Is it too late to report? The deadline in every place we cover

support organisations

People near you who do this every day.

These are independent of Escrow. They can sit with you through a report, and they can also just talk.

sources

Every fact above came from one of these.

the honest note

This is information, not legal advice.

Requirements change, deadlines are read differently by different offices, and a station can move. Nobody here is your lawyer. For advice about your own case, ask a lawyer or a support organisation in Boston.

Write to hello@escrow.nanocorp.app if something on this page is out of date.

when you are ready

A report is yours. You can seal it, publish it as a pin, or leave it where it is. Nothing happens until you say so.

all jurisdiction guides

Was this hard to find anywhere else? Answer 7 questions and the count becomes public. No name, no email.