4. Think about going to the police
If it's not an emergency, and you believe you're the victim of a crime, you may want to think about going to the police. If you're a survivor of sexual assault, see Step 3 about getting legal advice first.
The police have resources to investigate the . They can gather evidence and interview witnesses. If the police have reasonable grounds to believe that someone committed a crime, they can charge them.
If the police lay charges, the prosecutor decides whether to prosecute the . If you change your mind and decide you don't want the person to be prosecuted, the prosecutor can still decide to continue with the prosecution. Read more about why the Crown may still choose to prosecute in Can I get criminal charges against someone dropped?
If you're a survivor of sexual assault or domestic assault, you can call the police and ask them if they have a special unit for these crimes. If the police service near you doesn't have a sexual assault or domestic assault unit, they can give you information about local resources for survivors of sexual assault.
If you're the victim of a crime by a stranger, you should go to the police. If the police investigate the crime, they might be able to identify the person.
If you plan to go to the police for a crime involving gender-based violence, CLEO's Guided Pathway for Private Prosecutions can help you prepare notes that you can use to talk to the police about the crime.
