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The police and court: common questions

Short answers to the questions people ask about getting help, reporting, ABE interviews and what happens if a case goes to court. Whether and when to report is your choice.

Before you read. These answers talk about crime and the justice system in general terms, without describing any abuse in detail. You can stop at any time. If reading them brings things up for you, you can talk to someone.

Every fact on this page comes from GOV.UK, the Crown Prosecution Service, the NHS, the Scottish and Northern Ireland governments’ websites, the prosecution services or the law itself (legislation.gov.uk). We last checked it on 6 October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.

The UK has three justice systems: England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Where the answer differs, we say so. For the full picture, read our guide to the criminal process.

Getting help and reporting

Do I have to report to the police to get help?

No. You don’t have to report a sexual assault to the police if you don’t want to. You can still get medical care and support.

What is a sexual assault referral centre (SARC)?

Sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) offer medical, practical and emotional support to anyone who has been raped, sexually assaulted or abused, whatever their gender or age, and whenever it happened. They can arrange a forensic medical examination even if you haven’t decided whether to report, and can put you in touch with an independent sexual violence adviser (ISVA).

England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland each have their own services. Our guide explains how to find one where you live.

How do I report a crime to the police?

Call 999 in an emergency. For crimes that are not an emergency, you can report online or call 101. Calls to 999 and 101 are free.

If you’re in danger and can’t speak, see how to make a silent 999 call.

It happened a long time ago. Can I still report it?

Yes.

England and Wales: the Crown Prosecution Service says there is no time limit on how long after the offence you can report a crime, and it treats these cases in the same way as any other. The offences someone can be charged with may be different.
Scotland: Police Scotland says there is no time limit for reporting a rape or sexual crime.
Northern Ireland: the Public Prosecution Service says anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse can come forward and report it to the police, no matter when it happened.

ABE interviews

What is an ABE interview?

ABE stands for ‘Achieving Best Evidence’. It is the government’s guidance for the police in England and Wales on interviewing victims and witnesses. An ABE interview is a video-recorded interview with a victim or witness who is vulnerable or intimidated, where the recording is meant to be played in court as their evidence. You may also hear it called a video-recorded interview, or VRI.

Who might have an ABE interview with the police?

Victims and witnesses who are vulnerable or intimidated. The Crown Prosecution Service explains that you count as vulnerable if you are under 18 at the time of the hearing, or have physical or mental needs that could affect you giving your best evidence. You count as intimidated if you feel very scared or upset in a way that would affect your evidence, if you are a victim of a sexual offence, domestic abuse or modern slavery, or if you witnessed a crime involving a gun or a knife.

Can my ABE interview be used in court?

Yes, if the court allows it. The recording is played at the trial as your main evidence, so you don’t have to tell the court everything again. You may still be asked questions by the prosecution and the defence. In the Crown Court, those questions can sometimes be asked and recorded at a hearing before the trial. The judge or magistrates decide which special measures you can have.

What happens after an ABE interview?

The police carry on with their investigation. In England and Wales, the Crown Prosecution Service advises the police and decides whether to prosecute in more serious or complex cases. Under the Victims’ Code, you have the right to be given information about the investigation and prosecution. If the police or prosecutors decide not to go ahead, you can ask for a review.

Is it the same in Scotland and Northern Ireland?

Northern Ireland has its own Achieving Best Evidence guidance for police officers who carry out recorded interviews with vulnerable and intimidated witnesses.

In Scotland, children are interviewed using the Scottish Child Interview Model, Scotland’s approach to joint investigative interviews. For any witness, the court can allow a video or audio recording of their interview with the police to be used as their evidence. This special measure is called a ‘prior statement’.

Your rights

What rights do I have as a victim of crime?

In England and Wales, the Victims’ Code sets out 12 rights for victims of crime. They include the right to be referred to services that support victims, to be given information about the investigation and prosecution, to make a Victim Personal Statement, and to complain if your rights aren’t met.

In Scotland, the Victims’ Code for Scotland sets out your rights. In Northern Ireland, the Victim Charter sets out how victims of crime should be treated and what support they can receive. Our guide lists your rights in each nation.

What if the police or prosecutors decide not to go ahead?

England and Wales: if the police or the Crown Prosecution Service decide not to prosecute, or to stop a case, you can ask for that decision to be reviewed under the Victims’ Right to Review Scheme. Some conditions apply. Ask as soon as you can: the CPS asks for a request within 10 working days of its decision letter.

Scotland: you can ask the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service to review a decision to take no action, or to stop a case after it has gone to court. It asks you to get in touch within one month of learning of its decision.

Northern Ireland: you can ask the Public Prosecution Service to review a decision not to prosecute, in writing, normally within one month of being told of the decision.

Will my name be made public?

England and Wales, and Northern Ireland: if you are the victim of an alleged sexual offence, the law says that nothing likely to identify you as the victim can be published during your lifetime. In Northern Ireland, this also lasts for 25 years after the victim’s death.

Scotland: there is not yet an automatic legal right to anonymity for complainers in sexual offence cases. In practice, the media follow a long-standing convention of not naming them, and a court can make an order in an individual case. A new law gives an automatic lifelong right to anonymity, but that part is not in force yet.

If a case goes to court

Will I have to face them in court?

If you’re a victim of a sexual offence, or of another serious crime such as domestic abuse, you may be able to give evidence with ‘special measures’, such as a screen so the defendant can’t see you, a video link from somewhere else, or recording your evidence before the trial.

Who is eligible, and which measures exist, differ between England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Our guide explains special measures in court in each nation.

Can someone support me at court?

England and Wales: the Witness Service, run by the charity Victim Support since 1 April 2026, can support you when you give evidence. Before the trial, you can visit the court with someone from the Witness Service, and they may be able to sit with you in the courtroom. There is usually a separate room where you can wait, so you don’t meet the defendant.

Scotland: children and complainers in sexual offence, domestic abuse, stalking and human trafficking cases are automatically entitled to a supporter who can sit with them while they give evidence.

Northern Ireland: nidirect explains the witness services and special measures available.

You don’t have to do this alone

Our guide to the people you might meet explains who does what if you report. Looking for a different question? Go back to common questions.

Where this information comes from

Checked on 6 October 2026. Rules and services can change, so check the official pages too.

Whatever you decide about reporting, the organisations in our Support Directory offer support.

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