Pre-charge Bail Homepage > I have reported the sexual offence to the police what happens now? > Pre-charge bail There are two types of bail: unconditional and conditional. Both types of bail require the suspect to return to the police station on a given date. Unconditional bail means that the suspect is released without any conditions. If granted conditional bail the suspect will also be given some conditions which he has to comply with. These can include being banned from attending a certain address, not being allowed to contact a specific person directly or indirectly, and being required to live at a certain place. Bail conditions can help to keep you safe especially where the suspect is someone you know or lives with you. Breach of bail conditions is a serious matter and can result in the suspect being arrested. If the suspect breaks any of these bail conditions you should tell the police immediately. If the investigation is finished and a decision has been made to charge the suspect, he can also be granted bail (as above) to attend court on a given date. Released under investigation In situations where the police investigation is ongoing it is becoming more common for suspects to be released following interview without being placed on bail. This is as a result of a change in law in April 2017 which means a person cannot be on bail (before being charged) for more than 28 days. If this happens the person arrested and interviewed will not receive any conditions preventing them from contacting you, and will not be given a date to return to the police station. Instead, suspects will be released under investigation. This means that the investigation continues and if the suspect is later charged with an offence, they will usually be sent a letter telling them when to attend court. When the police release the suspect from the police station they will inform him that any unnecessary or inappropriate contact between him and the victim or any other witness may be a criminal offence. Any contact that is reported to the police could result in prosecutions for intimidation of witnesses, harassment or perverting the course of justice. Your safety If you are concerned about your safety, you should tell the officer in the case. Where the abuser is your boyfriend, husband or other relative you can apply to the Family Court for a nonmolestation order. See our guide Domestic Violence Injunctions. You could also ask for the police to consider serving a domestic violence protection notice (DVPN) and applying for a domestic violence protection order (DVPO). Where the suspect is known to you and/ or knows where you live but is not a boyfriend, husband or another relative you should outline your safety concerns to the police. The police can put an alert on your phone number and/ or address so that if you contact them in an emergency they can quickly identify you as at risk. You can also consider applying to the civil court for a harassment injunction. See our guide Harassment and the law. If the suspect is charged, he will either be remanded in prison or bailed as the 28-day limit only applies to bail before charge. The investigation will also come to an end and court proceedings begin. The Crown Prosecution Service and the decision to charge