Asking for a friend: I was sexually assaulted and now I blame myself because I didn’t fight back. I don’t want to report it as I don’t think I’ll be believed. What should I do?

Asking for a friend: I was sexually assaulted and now I blame myself because I didn’t fight back. I don’t want to report it as I don’t think I’ll be believed. What should I do?

Q: I had a bad experience a few months ago where I feel like I was sexually assaulted. I don’t want to get into the details of it as it’s too upsetting, but I am struggling with blaming myself. I didn’t fight back, I just let it happen. I can’t help feeling that I should have fought back and keep reliving the experience to see where I should have run away or pushed him off me. I don’t feel like I can report it because of this, as I don’t think I would be believed. I don’t think I could handle being told that it was my fault as I already feel like that. It would destroy me. I haven’t seen this person since and we aren’t in the same location so I hope I never have to see them again. I don’t go out anymore, and my friends are worried about me but I can’t tell them what happened. I have just told them I had Covid and I’m still recovering from it, but I can’t use that excuse forever. There are lots of Christmas social events coming up that they are inviting me to, but all I want to do is stay in bed. I don’t know what to do next.