Information and Resources for the Target of Sexual Assault

There are many options and resources as well as information available both on campus and in the Santa Cruz community to provide response, medical services, counseling, and support services to victims of sexual assault. Following is a listing of the most important resources. Appendix F lists the current telephone numbers of these resources as well as others.

University Police:
Staff, students, faculty, and members of the community experiencing a sexual assault on campus will receive a speedy response from the University Police. (For sexual assaults off campus, local police should be contacted.) In addition, the police and only the police can arrange for medical examinations in order to provide admissible evidence when the complainant desires prosecution through the criminal justice system.

If the University Police are contacted, an officer trained in sexual assault cases will be dispatched to the scene, and will explain police and medical procedures to the complainant. If the police transport the complainant to Dominican Hospital, which is equipped to perform medical examinations for legal purposes, then an advocate and a specially trained nurse/examiner who are members of the Santa Cruz Sexual Assault Response Team (S.A.R.T.) will be dispatched to the hospital to be available to the complainant. A Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (S.A.N.E.) must conduct a medical examination as soon as possible to maximize the collection of evidence for criminal prosecution. It is important to note that S.A.R.T. and S.A.N.E. involvement is only possible when a police report is filed.

The police will interview the accused and witnesses and collect evidence. At the conclusion of the police investigation, if warranted, the accused may be arrested, or the case may be forwarded to the District Attorney for consideration of prosecution. The services of the Victim/Witness Program will be available to the complainant if s/he decides to file a police report. Such services include counseling, court escort and advocacy, and assistance with financial compensation.

It is important to remember that "reporting" a rape is not the same thing as prosecution through the criminal justice system. If the complainant files a report and then later refuses to prosecute through the criminal justice system or cooperate in a police investigation, there is little that the police or courts will be able to do. On the other hand, if the complainant initially decides that s/he does not want to file a police report and then, a month later, wants to prosecute through the criminal justice system, s/he has lost the opportunity for best evidence, not only in terms of immediate police investigative interviews, but also the collection of physical evidence. For these reasons, the University strongly encourages victims of sexual assault to call the police as soon as possible.

Title IX/Sexual Harassment Officer (Title IX/SHO):
R esponsible for receiving and conducting the administrative investigation of all reports of sexual assault filed on campus by students and employees and is available to discuss options, provide support, explain university policies and procedures, and provide education on relevant issues. The Title IX/SHO investigation is not a criminal procedure.

Medical Assistance:
Students, employees, and members of the community experiencing a sexual assault on campus should receive medical attention promptly from the Health Services and/or one of the local hospitals. It should be noted that medical examinations at the Student Health Center are not admissible for legal purposes; medical attention provided through the services of S.A.R.T. are strongly advised (this means reporting the sexual assault to the University Police). In addition, it is important to note that any health center or physician treating the complainant of a violent crime is obligated by law to report the crime to the police.

Colleges and Residential Facilities:
Individual College Administrative Officers and Residential Life Coordinators, the Director of Summer Conferences, the Manager of Family Student Housing, the Manager of Graduate Housing, and/or the Judicial Affairs Officer, in conjunction with the Title IX/SHO, may arrange for the person accused of the sexual assault or the complainant to be moved temporarily to another dwelling if the complainant and the accused live in close quarters.

Other Campus Resources Include:

• Counseling and Psychiatric Services offers confidential short-term and crisis counseling to all members of the campus community on an emergency basis, or by appointment. Psychiatric referrals are also available.
• The Office of Rape Prevention Education is available to any member of the campus community who has been raped or sexually assaulted by a stranger, acquaintance, or partner. The Rape Prevention Education Coordinator can discuss options, provide support in making decisions about how to proceed, and follow-up to help the complainant get action. These services are available only during working hours.
• Resident, Community, Neighborhood Assistants, Coordinators For Residential Education, and Associate College Administrative Officers are educated and supportive people for students to contact.
• The Women's Center offers campus and community referral services.
• The Judicial Affairs Officer hears student concerns and can assist directly or make referrals to appropriate resources.
• The Ombudsman can assist anyone in the campus community by providing information about campus policies and procedures.
• Emergency Blue Light Telephones are available throughout the campus (see Appendix C for map). These telephones connect directly with a police dispatcher in a similar manner as dialing 9-1-1.
• See Appendix F for a telephone directory of resources, including off-campus resources.

Reporting Options

The Higher Education Amendments of 1992, enacted on July 23, 1992, require universities and colleges to prevent, report, and investigate sex offenses that occur on campus. The University of California, Santa Cruz, encourages all victims of sexual assault to report offenses as soon as possible after their occurrence, in accordance with the following procedures, in order for appropriate and timely action to be taken.

A. General Statement of Options

Persons experiencing a sexual assault may exercise the following options:

• Report the sexual assault to university or off-campus police (if the sexual assault occurred off campus), particularly if the individual desires prosecution through the criminal justice system; and/or
• Request an administrative investigation from Title IX/SHO; and/or
• Seek counseling and support services; or
• Choose not to report.

The University strongly encourages victims of sexual assault to call the police as soon as possible.