Victims who delay reporting the assault or abuse may not have as much evidence against the perpetrator as they would if they had reported it immediately after it occurred. Physical evidence, such as torn or bloody clothing or DNA evidence obtained during a bodily examination
using a rape kit,
will likely no longer be available if it has been several weeks or months.
In addition, delayed reporting can lead to memory loss surrounding the events that occurred. The victim may forget where the abuse happened or what transpired during the actual assault. If the perpetrator was unknown to the victim before the incident happened, they might not remember the perpetrator’s name or what they looked like. Memory loss can make it challenging to pursue a case beyond filing a report.