Research shows that only 20% of sexual assaults are reported to the police. That happens because survivors may fear not being believed or being retaliated against. Some survivors feel a lack of support or are embarrassed. We want to help change that by offering another option for reporting the crime.
If you are the victim of sexual assault, age 13 or older, and live in Kansas City, Kansas, or the assault took place here, there is now a new pathway to justice.
SEEK THEN SPEAK is a tool to support survivors of sexual assault to explore their options, connect with local resources and begin the process of reporting their sexual assault. Survivors can
access it from any digital device, at the time and place of their choosing. It guides survivors through a series of questions designed to gather (SEEK) critical information about the sexual assault. Survivors can go through the questions at their own pace, taking as long as they need. Additionally, it helps them explore options for medical care, supportive services, and reporting to police. If they choose, survivors can also use the program to begin completing a report (SPEAK) for police. This is where SEEK switches to SPEAK.
The text can also be translated into more than 100 languages, further increasing access and allows the survivor to remain anonymous. Information is not saved. Instead, SEEK THEN SPEAK provides the survivor with a PDF of their responses that they can save or email.
If you decide to share your report with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department, you can send it to our Victim Services Unit at kckpdvsu@kckpd.org. KCKPD will review your report and may open an official investigation. It’s important to note that once submitted, these reports become police records, and may be accessible in subsequent legal matters.
Our hope is that the details documented with SEEK THEN SPEAK will encourage survivors to report the assault when they are ready and that the documentation of the details provided will increase the quality of cases submitted to our district attorney's office.