How you can report what happened

Reporting to Ara

You can get advice about your reporting options at Ara from Ara Security, Student Care, Advocacy —see the support page. You can find more information about the formal complaints process here. 

For information about informal anonymous reporting, please see here. 

Reporting to Police

Message from the Police about reporting:

“Sexual Assault can be, and often is, the most traumatic event in a person’s life. It is not unusual for this to affect their lives negatively for many years. Survivors of sexual assault are never to blame for the sexual assault committed against them. Police will treat anyone who wishes to contact us with empathy and respect, as well as ensuring there is access to specialist support and counselling services. Police also want to hold any perpetrator accountable and try to change the perpetrator’s behaviour to prevent them harming anyone else. Sexual assault is hugely under reported in New Zealand and often it is many years after a sexual assault before a victim/survivor decides, to or is strong enough, to report a sexual assault to Police. It is never too late to report it. Police have specially trained investigators who will listen to survivors and talk them through the investigation process. A perpetrator who has sexually assaulted a victim is likely to have done it previously and/or do it to someone else. Your reporting can help prevent there being another victim. If you wish to speak with a Police Sexual Assault investigator contact your local Police station or email them at ASA@Police.govt.nz.”

You can contact the Police over phone or by going to a police station. Police can link you to appropriate support organisations and arrange a medical examination. You can find out more on the NZ Police website.

What happens after making a Police report?

The Ministry of Justice has a dedicated set of webpages intended to help victims/survivors of sexual violence (and their friends, family and whānau) understand what happens with reporting, investigation and the courts. It is available in both English and Te Reo Māori and has quick exit functionality. 

They have also created a diagram to help clarify the overall process, which you can find immediately below.