If something happened to you

Right now

• If you're in danger or seriously hurt, call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest emergency department. In Nunavut, which has no 9-1-1, call the RCMP by dialling the first three digits of the local phone number, then 1111 (Iqaluit: 979-1111). For an ambulance, call your community's fire and ambulance number (Iqaluit: 979-4422).
• Get to a place where you feel safe, and think about calling someone you trust to be with you.
• You don't have to decide anything about police or what comes next right now.
• Whatever you're feeling, whether it's shock, numbness, fear, anger or nothing at all, is a normal reaction.

Medical care

You can get medical care whether or not you report to police. Many hospitals have specialized sexual assault programs with specially trained nurses.

• Injuries: some injuries aren't obvious right away. A nurse or doctor can check.
• Preventing HIV: medicine called post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) should be started as soon as possible, and no later than 72 hours after an assault.
• Emergency contraception: pills can be used up to 5 days after. Levonorgestrel (Plan B) works best within 24 hours and may work less well at higher body weights; ulipristal (ella, by prescription) works better over the full 5 days. A copper IUD inserted within 7 days is the most effective option.
• Other sexually transmitted infections can be tested for and treated.

Evidence

If you might want to report, now or later, a hospital sexual assault program can collect forensic evidence. Time limits vary, from 3 days in some places to 12 days in Ontario, so go as soon as you can. In many provinces and territories, evidence can be stored for months while you decide whether to involve police.

If you can, avoid showering or changing clothes before evidence is collected. If you already have, evidence can often still be collected, so don't let that stop you from getting care.

In Ontario, 37 hospital-based Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Treatment Centres provide this care. Find the nearest centre.

Reporting to police

Reporting is your choice. Some people report right away, some report years later, and many never do. All of those choices are valid.

• There's no time limit for reporting a sexual assault to police in Canada.
• You can bring a support person, and you can ask for victim services, which support people through the justice process.
• After an investigation, police (or, in some provinces, Crown prosecutors) decide whether to lay charges. If charges are laid, the Crown prosecutor decides whether the case goes to court. You would be a witness, with rights to information and protection under the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights.
• Many sexual assault centres can explain the process and go with you.

Not sure yet? A sexual assault centre or victim services can walk you through what reporting involves before you decide. More about reporting and the law.

People to talk to

Sexual assault centres offer support lines, counselling, and someone to go with you to the hospital, the police or court. Many also support friends and family. You don't need to have reported to police to get help.

• Ending Sexual Violence Association of Canada lists sexual assault centres and crisis lines in every province and territory. Some listings may be out of date; in the Northwest Territories, call 811.
• The Victim Services Directory from the Department of Justice helps you find victim services near you.
• 211 connects you to local services by phone, text or chat, in many languages.
• ShelterSafe.ca lists shelters and transition houses for women experiencing violence.

Support lines by province and territory

These lines support people affected by sexual violence. Hours vary, so check the last column. Numbers were checked in September 2026.

National and specialized lines

Browsing more safely

If someone else uses your phone or computer, or might check what you've been looking at:

• Use the Leave this page button at the top of every page, or press Esc twice, to switch straight to the weather site.
• Use a private or incognito window, so pages aren't saved in your history.
• If you didn't use a private window, clear your browser history afterward. The quick exit replaces only the page you're on, so other pages you opened here stay in your history.
• Calls and texts to support lines may show in your call log or on your phone bill.
• If you think your device or accounts are being monitored, use a device the other person can't get to, such as one at a library or a friend's.

This site doesn't use cookies or tracking. Your browser and internet provider can still keep a record of the sites you visit, and like most websites, the server that hosts this site may keep basic technical logs.

Looking after yourself

Recovery doesn't follow a schedule. Some people feel better within weeks, and for others it takes much longer. Common reactions include trouble sleeping, flashbacks, anxiety, feeling numb, and changes in appetite or mood.

Counselling can help, now or years from now. Sexual assault centres offer counselling or can refer you.

Be patient with yourself. You survived something that wasn't your fault.