Guidance

Tanzania: information for victims of rape and sexual assault

Updated 24 January 2024

This information is provided to help British nationals overseas make informed decisions about whether and how to:

• seek medical advice and attention
• report to local police
• engage with foreign legal authorities following a rape or other form of sexual assault overseas

If you have been sexually assaulted it is important to remember that it was not your fault. Rape and sexual assault is always wrong – no matter who commits it or where it happens. It is traumatic and it can affect you both physically and emotionally. Do not be afraid to get help.

For information on support available in the UK, see Rape and Sexual Assault: Returning to the UK.

1. First steps

It is your choice about what you do next, but this information may help you in coming to a decision. The most important thing is to make sure that you are as safe as you can be. You can:

• Contact the police emergency centre on 112. For a crime to be investigated, you need to report it to the local police before you leave the country.
• Contact your tour operator if you are travelling with one and ask them for assistance. Where possible, and if you wish, the tour operator may accompany you to the police station as well as local hospital.
• Contact the British High Commission in Dar es Salaam on +255 22 229 0000. British High Commission staff will be empathetic, and non-judgmental, and can provide information on local police and medical procedures. Anything you tell them will be treated in the strictest confidence. They can contact your family or friends for you if you wish.

2. If you want to report the incident to the police in Tanzania

You will need to report the crime while you are in Tanzania for the police to investigate the case.

If you choose to report the crime, try to do so as soon as possible, so forensic evidence can be retained. Washing yourself or your clothes may make it difficult for the police to obtain forensic evidence. If you change your clothes, think about taking those you were wearing to the police. You may wish to preserve evidence by retaining items such as condoms, toothbrushes, or texts.

If you have a tour operator, they should be able to arrange for someone to support you. If you are in Dar es Salaam, they will try to send a consular officer to support you, where timing and location allow. You will always be able to speak to trained consular staff on the telephone 24/7 on +44 20 7136 6857.

If you approach the police directly, you can also ask them to inform the British High Commission on +255 22 229 0000 and they can offer you consular support.

You should:

• tell the police if you think you have been drugged
• insist you get a police preliminary or final report, and request a translation in English if applicable

3. What to expect if you report the incident to the police

Every police station will have both male and female officers. If you would prefer to make your statement to a female officer, then you can ask to do so . Police stations may have officers trained in gender-based violence, depending on your location.

You can request to speak to an English-speaking police officer. Most police stations will have senior officers who can speak English, but in smaller police stations in outlying areas, you may need to request an interpreter.

The police will lead the investigation. They will collect DNA evidence and may examine your clothes. They may take photographs and keep them as evidence in their investigation. They will ask you to describe:

• the perpetrator

• the crime scene

• the details of the assault

Consider appointing a local lawyer to accompany you when you provide your statement to the police. See our list of English speaking lawyers in Tanzania who may be able to help you.

You will not need to surrender your passport while the police carry out their investigation, but the police may take photocopies or scans of your documents.

Homosexuality is illegal in Tanzania and there are laws against drug use. However, there should be no legal risks in reporting an assault to the local police.

4. If you do not want to report the incident to the police in Tanzania

The British High Commission can still help you. This includes helping you to contact your insurance company, your family, arranging to travel back to the UK and/or provide you with information on local support in the UK. They can provide you with lists of English-speaking medical facilities, lawyers and translators.

It is your choice on whether to report the crime. If you do not report it, your case may not be investigated.

You do not need to report the crime to police in order to receive medical attention. However, the hospital may ask to see documentation from police about your case.

5. If you want to report the incident to the police in the UK

The support available to you and your access to justice may vary according to where you report the crime. In Tanzania, you need to report the crime before you leave the country, if you want it to be investigated and police to obtain important evidence.

If you are staying in Tanzania, where the crime took place, you should report the crime in that country. If you are a British national and you need help to report the crime, you can contact the British High Commission Dar es Salaam, or the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in London on +44 20 7136 6857.

If you do not report the crime in Tanzania and you return to the UK, you can still report the matter to your local UK police.

The UK police should send the information you provide to the Tanzanian authorities. However, it is for the Tanzanian police force to decide whether to investigate a crime in their jurisdiction and they may not take action.

You can report the crime to the UK police even if you are not seeking an investigation abroad. The UK police can offer you access to victim support in the UK. They may still send some details of the crime to police in the country where it happened. This might be necessary in order to protect vulnerable people, or to stop more crimes being committed.

6. Reporting the crime in Tanzania - what happens next?

If you decide to report your case to the authorities, you will need to make a statement about the incident and provide a description of the attacker.

The police may keep your belongings, such as clothes, or electronic equipment, if they need them for forensic examination.

The police will send you to a local health facility for a forensic examination. General practitioners, consultants or specialists will usually see you. Forensic examinations can take place in local health centres, hospitals, or dispensaries.

You can ask the local police to inform the UK police of the assault. Local police may ask UK authorities to carry out police checks on you as part of their investigations. Alternatively, you can ask the British High Commission to contact the UK police on your behalf. You can contact the British High Commission on +255 22 229 0000.

7. The medical examination – what to expect

All hospitals and medical centres treat victims of rape and sexual assault. Hospitals do not automatically report the results of any examination to police.

Medical staff will assess you for external injuries, DNA and sexually transmitted diseases. A female member of staff should be present at the examination. A male doctor may attend to you with a female nurse present.

Medical examinations are the same for male and female victims.

If notified in advance, a consular officer or Honorary Consul from the British High Commission may be able to accompany you to the hospital. Local tour operators should also be able to do this.

8. Medical Treatment

You can get emergency contraception from hospitals in Tanzania. You will need to pay for emergency contraception and medical treatment in Tanzania. Check your travel insurance policy to see if it covers medical costs. Alternatively, you can pay for your treatment using cash.

Emergency contraception needs to be taken within 72 hours of the incident for it to be effective.

If you have had medication administered overseas, you should keep the label or make a note of the name of the medication, so that you let your local health provider know when you return home.

HIV PEP medication is available in Tanzania. HIV PEP medication needs to be taken within 72 hours of the incident for it to be effective. The NHS may be able to commence or continue the 28 day treatment on return to the UK

9. Police investigations in Tanzania – what to expect

The police may take you to the scene of the crime, or they may ask you to identify the suspect in an identity parade at a police station.

If the police make an arrest, they investigate and seek consent from the Director of Public Prosecution to prosecute. This process is completed within roughly 3 days, after which the defendant submits their guilty or not guilty plea.

You can leave Tanzania once the case is filed.

10. Court procedures – what to expect

In order to take the case to trial, you will first need to file a complaint to the Police.. You can file a complaint from the UK. You can make the complaint in English or Swahili.

If a suspect is brought to trial, you will need to testify in court after the offender is charged and enters their plea. You can choose to testify from the UK or from Tanzania. Authorities in Tanzania will not assist with your travel and accommodation arrangements if you choose to attend the trial.

The authorities will notify you within 3 days if there is going to be a trial. The trial will be in English and Swahili. You do not need to attend every court session, but you may need to give oral evidence. You can give evidence in person, or via video call. You can arrange to give evidence from your home country , if you live outside of Tanzania.

The length of time it takes for a case to come to trial will vary, depending on the circumstances of the case. The length of Rape and Sexual Assault trials will also differ between cases. There may be a long gap between the end of a trial and final sentencing. You can choose to appeal the sentence. You can make up to 3 appeal hearings. Courts can order the offender to pay compensation for any injuries or losses, either after they have been convicted in a criminal court or as a result of civil action.

In Tanzania, the charge of rape is not an automatic prosecution, which means that charges can be dropped. If you wish to do so, you can drop charges once you have filed them without any legal repercussions. You will not face criminal charges for doing so. In certain circumstances, however, an alleged assailant can press counter charges claiming false imprisonment.

11. Hiring a lawyer

A privately hired lawyer will assess the evidence and advise you on the chances of getting a conviction. You can find a list of English-speaking lawyers based in Tanzania.

If you are not resident in Tanzania, you can give your lawyer’s address as your local address.

If you do not want to appoint a lawyer, the Director of Public Prosecution’s office can keep you updated on your case.

12. Legal aid

You are entitled to legal aid while in Tanzania. This can cover your legal representation in and out of court.

Discuss with your lawyer whether they will charge for services before your case goes to court.

13. Sentencing

Minimum sentences for rape and sexual assault apply.

If the alleged perpetrator is found not guilty, they will be acquitted.

14. Compensation

Courts can order the offender to pay compensation for any injuries or losses, either after they have been convicted in a criminal court or as a result of civil action.

There is no state-funded compensation scheme to cover physical or psychological injuries suffered as a result of a sexual or violent crime.

15. When you return home to the UK

You may want to let your GP or a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) know what has happened to you so that you can talk about the experience and seek further support and advice where you live:

England	NHS Choices website, or search the internet for ‘NHS SARC’
Scotland	Archway SARC phone 0141 211 8175
Wales	New Pathways SARC phone 01685 379 310	Ynys Saff Sexual Assault Referral Centre - Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
Northern Ireland	Rowan SARC Northern Ireland phone 0800 389 4424

If you believe you may be at risk of having contracted a sexually transmitted infection (STI), you should ask your local health provider to test you. You should do this even if you have been tested in the country that the assault took place in.

16. Support organisations in Tanzania

It is your choice to let people know. If you are ready to talk about it, the following organisation may be able to help you.

Women in Law & Development Afric (WiLDAF) work in partnership with the government and other organizations to provide legal aid, counselling and emotional support services, psychological services, medical services, shelter and other services.

Women in Law and Development Africa (WiLDAF)
Mikocheni A area
WiLDAF Street
Block F. Plot No. 635
P.O. Box 76215.Dar es salaam, Tanzania
Telephone number: +255222701995
Hours of contact: 7:30am to 10:30pm Mondays to Thursdays
7:30am to 1:30pm Fridays.
Emergency response Toll Free Call Number 0800780070 or 0685559954 / 0624475478
Language of service is Swahili and English.

17. Disclaimer

This information has been prepared by HMG officials who are not legally or medically trained. It should therefore never be used as a substitute for professional medical or legal advice. It is intended to help British nationals overseas make their own informed decisions. Neither HMG nor any official of the Consulate accept liability for any loss or damage which you might suffer as a result of relying on the information supplied.

Medical information has been provided by The Havens Sexual Assault Referral Centres of Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and was accurate at the time of production (02/02/2022).