Sexual assault and abuse — South Canterbury
'Sexual assault' refers to sexual contact or behaviour that occurs without the explicit consent of the victim. Males and females can experience sexual assault, and at any age. A sexual assault and abuse service is provided by Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora South Canterbury.
Contact us
To contact the sexual assault and abuse service for South Canterbury:
- phone: 03 371 4620
Where to find us
The Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora South Canterbury sexual assault and abuse service is at:
Timaru Medical Centre
45 Heaton Street
Timaru
Services we provide
Sexual assault is a crime of power and control. It refers to sexual contact or behaviour that occurs without the explicit consent of the victim.
Sexual assault can occur to males or females, at any age. It can take various forms and can involve physical assault and assault or abuse while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora South Canterbury provides a sexual assault and abuse service under the Sexual Abuse Assessment and Treatment Services (SAATS) contract with ACC and New Zealand Police.
The doctors who will see you are accredited by the organisation Medical Sexual Assault Clinicians (MEDSAC).
The service provides an acute and historical assessment service, and forensic and non-forensic services for adults, adolescents and children. We work together with paediatricians and other specialist services as required.
Referral information
Urgent referrals are directed to the on-call SAATS clinician via the Timaru Medical Centre.
Historical referrals can also be discussed with the on-call clinician.