How to report sexual assault in India

where to report

You can report at any police station, regardless of where the assault happened, and the officer in charge must register a First Information Report (FIR); this is called a Zero FIR and it is later transferred to the station with jurisdiction. Under Section 154(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, a woman survivor's statement must be recorded by a woman police officer, at her residence or a place of her choice if she prefers. You do not need to file an FIR before getting medical care: hospitals can register a medico-legal case (MLC) and treat you first.

what to bring

An FIR is not mandatory to receive treatment or a medical examination. If you do file an FIR, you will give an account of what happened; identity documents help but are not a legal precondition for the police to register a complaint. For the medico-legal exam, the hospital completes the standard MLC form and forensic evidence forms set out in the 2014 Ministry of Health and Family Welfare guidelines.

the exam window

The medical exam should be done as soon as possible, ideally without bathing, changing clothes or cleaning up beforehand, since the likelihood of finding forensic evidence drops sharply after about 72 hours (evidence is still sometimes collected up to 96 hours). It is carried out at any government or private hospital by a registered medical practitioner, and treatment is free of cost.

the deadline

There is generally no statute of limitations for reporting rape or sexual assault in India: Section 468 of the Code of Criminal Procedure's limitation periods only apply to offences punishable with up to three years' imprisonment, and rape carries a much higher sentence. The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, which covers offences against anyone under 18, also has no prescribed limitation period for reporting.