A sexual assault centre provides free, round-the-clock help after rape or other sexual assault. You do not need a referral, and you do not have to report to the police to receive medical, psychosocial or forensic help.

What happened is not your fault. You can also get in touch if you are unsure what happened or remember very little. This SamfunnPrep guide was checked against official sources as of 25. July 2026.

What is a sexual assault centre, and does it cost anything?

This is a health service offering medical help, conversations and possible evidence collection after sexual assault. The service is free, open 24 hours a day and available without a referral.

You can get help whether you want to report, do not want to report, or have not decided. The police state that there are centres in every county. Local organisation and addresses vary.

Call the out-of-hours medical service on 116 117 if you do not know where the nearest service is. It can give advice and put you in touch. The guide to out-of-hours medical care and emergency help in Norway also explains when to use different health services. Call the police on 112 if you or someone else is in immediate danger.

The national guideline applies to all adults and young people from age 16. A centre may also help young people from age 14. For children and younger teenagers, the service must cooperate with the hospital's paediatric department. Contact the out-of-hours medical service even if you are unsure which age limit applies locally.

What should you do right away?

Get to safety first, and contact health professionals as soon as you can. Contacting them quickly can provide earlier treatment and a better opportunity to secure evidence, but you can still get help if time has passed.

If possible and safe:

  • Do not shower before you have spoken with the centre.
  • Keep underwear and clothes from the incident.
  • Keep SMS messages, chat logs and social-media messages.
  • Do not put yourself in new danger to retrieve clothes, a phone or other belongings.

The police state that bedding, video, telecommunications data and chat logs, among other things, can be important in an investigation. You do not need to collect everything yourself. Tell health professionals or the police what may exist.

Have you already showered, washed or changed clothes? Contact the service anyway. Helsedirektoratet says that the first contact must be assessed as an acute enquiry regardless of how much time has passed. When months or years have passed, the service assesses what you need now and where further help can best be provided.

What medical help can you receive?

Health professionals assess what you need and offer treatment based on your situation. There is no single standard examination that suits everyone.

Help may include:

  • examination and treatment of injuries or pain;
  • assessment of pregnancy and emergency contraception;
  • tests for sexually transmitted infections;
  • assessment of vaccines and preventive treatment;
  • samples for drug analysis when relevant;
  • a plan for follow-up, test results and further treatment.

Staff must explain what they propose. Evidence collection and injury documentation are done if you allow it. You can ask them to explain every step and why it may be useful.

Not everyone needs every test or measure. The centre also assesses whether you need dental treatment or other health care. Later, you may review test results and assess further medical and psychosocial follow-up.

What is evidence collection, and do you have to report to the police?

Evidence collection and injury documentation can be carried out without a police report when you consent. Health care and reporting are two separate choices.

During evidence collection, health professionals may examine biological or other material on your body, clothes or belongings. Injuries and other findings may be described, drawn or photographed. This may matter if you choose to report later, but an examination does not guarantee that evidence will be found.

As a rule, information and evidence material are not shared with the police without your consent. Health professionals nevertheless have statutory duties in some situations, for example where there is danger to life or children may be at risk. Ask staff to explain what applies in your case.

The published national guideline does not have one statutory storage period for evidence material not used for health care. Therefore, ask the centre how material is stored locally and what choices you have.

If you want to report, quick contact with the police can make it easier to secure other evidence. You do not need to decide before you receive health care. SamfunnPrep has a separate guide to reporting to the police if you want to know more about the process.

What conversation support and follow-up are available?

You should receive acute psychosocial support and an offer of follow-up after an individual assessment. Help may concern reactions, safety, risk of further assault and what you need next.

People react differently. Some feel fear, anxiety, guilt or shame. Others feel little at first, or have strong reactions later. There is no right way to react.

Follow-up may take place at the centre or in cooperation with your GP, school health service, psychologist, municipal crisis team or mental health services. The solution you receive depends on your needs, local services and your wishes. The centre must arrange further help when you need more than it can offer itself.

Ask for a clear plan before you leave: who will contact you, which test results are coming, and where you can turn if reactions become stronger. You can also see the overview of mental health help in Norway.

Can you get an interpreter and adapted help?

You have a right to information in a language you understand, and a qualified interpreter is free for the patient when an interpreter is necessary. The health service is responsible for booking the interpreter.

State which language you want when you get in touch. Children must not be used as interpreters, and family should not replace a qualified interpreter. The interpreter has a duty of confidentiality. Video or telephone interpreting may be possible when it suits the situation. You can find more details in the guide to the right to an interpreter in Norway.

Also say if you need a sign-language interpreter, physical accessibility, more time or another way of communicating. Deaf, deafblind and hard-of-hearing people may have a right to an interpreter. National requirements say staff must have competence concerning disability, culturally sensitive help, and gender and sexual diversity. The specific solution may vary locally, and mobile assistance is not available everywhere.

You do not have to explain everything in the first call. You can say: “I need help after a possible sexual assault. I need an interpreter in [language].” You can ask for the next step to be explained calmly.

You do not need to arrange everything at once. Safety and health care come first. When you later need an overview of other public services, you can find practical tools on SamfunnPrep.