When a Sexual Assault Occurs

After a sexual assault, the victim is often left confused and in a great deal of emotional and physical pain. They may even be hospitalized. In some cases, the victim is unable to return to work for the time being and is facing costly medical bills and a loss of income. In these and similar scenarios, sexual assault lawyers have been able to help victims by pursuing a civil claim against the perpetrator. A civil claim or lawsuit is intended to recover financial damages from the perpetrator in the form of compensation. All the money in the world will not reverse time, but it can ease the financial burdens of the victim and at the same time, punish the perpetrator. A sexual assault lawyer may be available to review your case at no charge should you wish to consider pursuing legal action against the person or persons who harmed you. This is a no-obligation consultation and the information you provide will be kept confidential.

Though cultural understandings of sexual assault have greatly improved over the past decades, there is still an enormous amount of confusion and misconceptions about this particular act of violence. One result of this is that it can lead to the victim unfairly blaming themselves for what happened. A sexual assault lawyer will go to great lengths to correct misinformation, even helping clients to understand that it is their right to pursue compensation from their perpetrator. It is important that responsibility and blame for the attack remain focused on those who committed the crime.

Misconceptions about Sexual Assault
Regardless of the circumstances of the sexual assault, you are not to blame for the behavior of the assailant. It’s a sad fact that you may be told otherwise, but when an attorney represents clients, they are aggressive in pursuing justice against the perpetrator. What follows are additional truths about sexual assault:

  • Sexual assault is not about sex; it is an act of violence committed against an unwilling participant in the act. In fact, sexual assault is about the assailant asserting control, power, and dominance over their victim.
  • Sexual assault is not connected to uncontrollable sexual needs or the lack of opportunities to have sex. In fact, sexual assault is about the assailant not respecting a person’s right to deny sexual consent.
  • Sexual assault is not caused by drinking too much alcohol or taking too many drugs. This may be used as an excuse by the perpetrator but it is not a valid excuse and does not exempt them from being responsible for harming the victim.
  • Sexual assault is sexual assault if the victim did not consent to sex, regardless of whether or not they fought back physically or verbally, as the lawyers at Cohen & Cohen can explain. In fact, the victim may not have sustained bruises or cuts but this is not an indication that it was a consensual act of sex. There are many reasons for why a victim may not fight back. They may have been afraid of being hurt further, they may have been afraid that they would lose their job if the perpetrator is connected to their job, or they may have been unconscious at the time of the sexual assault.

If you were the victim of a sexual assault, learn what legal options you have available to you by contacting a lawyer right away.