Sexual assault victims experience a lot of trauma from the incidence, making it hard to report the cases to the authorities or even contact a Toronto sexual assault lawyer. It is even more complicated if the victim lives in a society where people don’t talk about sex openly because they will fear being looked at differently once they report the sexual assault.
These people only have the criminal justice to help them hold the offenders accountable. Sexual crimes still occur, and cases of the offenders walking away without being charged for their actions are arising. Sexual assault victims are highly affected by such instances, and they need the power to know that they can follow up with their case through civil actions with a help of a sexual assault lawyer in Toronto.
- You Need A Sexual Assault Lawyer
You will not report the sexual assault case to the Toronto sexual assault lawyer who handles your other cases like personal injury. This time, you need another cause of action. Sexual assault cases are classified into three; Assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Filing a sexual assault case will need you to prove your case. This can be hard to do on your own because you are not aware of what the court requires and how to defend yourself. It is because of this reason that you need an attorney to assist you.
An attorney will help with all the investigations, including any valuable evidence. The Toronto sexual assault lawyer can also advise on everything you need to do and determine if there are other liable parties apart from the person who committed the sexual assault. This is possible in some cases, where different parties like the property owner can also be held liable. They can be charged for failure to bring enough security at the crime scene or if an employer did not stop the assault at the workplace.
- How Long After The Occurrence Of The Assault Should You File A Civil Claim?
The statute of limitation varies with the state. For some countries, you can file an assault case up to two years from when it happens, while other states have more prolonged periods. However, there are exceptions like age.
For example, if a child was sexually assaulted, they have to report the case two years after their 18th birthday. So, find out from your local authorities to know more about the statute of limitation for your state.
- What If You Don’t Report The Case Right Away?
In most cases, sexual assault victims do not report the case straight away due to the trauma and stigma. However, it is advisable to go to a nearby hospital to report the cases and get treatment in case of an injury due to this occurrence. Do not take a shower, change your clothes or comb your hair because the health practitioner will use those as evidence.
As long as you reported the sexual assault case, you can leave the investigations and the rest of the work to the authorities.