In any emergency involving risk to life or safety, including Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence, the first thing to do is to ring 999, even if you are not able to talk.

I CAN TALK

If you can talk, The team at the other end of the phone call will listen carefully to what you say and will send help quickly. They'll ask questions to understand what has happened and send specially trained police officers who know how to help in this kind of situation. They should be kind and make sure you get to safety and help quickly.

The person who answers the call, or the police, might also get doctors to check if you're ok.

I CAN’T TALK

If you are not able to talk, the Silent Solution system means that you can still call 999 even if it is too dangerous to make a noise or speak.

· Call 999

· Listen to the questions from the person who answers the call

· Respond by coughing or tapping your device, if you can

· If prompted, press 55 to let the operator know it's a genuine emergency

· You'll be put through to police

The police will not automatically attend if you make a silent 999 call.

Following the Silent Solution steps above will help the person who has answered the phone understand that it is a real emergency, and they will then take steps to help.

We hope you never need to take these steps. Even if you think you won’t need to, you can help others by sharing this article or the image attached on your social media or WhatsApp groups or chats.

If you want to help us help those who have experienced sexual abuse and violence, you can support our work with a donation here.

Anything you can donate, and shares you can make, will make a difference.

Thank you in advance.