Sexual Abuse Protective Order (SAPO)

You may be eligible to apply for this protective order if you meet the following requirements:

Age

• You (the "Petitioner") can be any age.
• The person you are seeking protection from (the "Respondent") MUST be at least 18 years old.

Relationship

• If you are 18 years old or older, you and the Respondent CANNOT be "family or household members." If you and the Respondent are "family or household members" you may be eligible for a Family Abuse Prevention Act (FAPA) Restraining Order.
• If you are less than 18 years old, you may qualify for a SAPO against a relative or former sexual partner under some circumstances.

Abuse

Within the last 180 days (note, there are some exceptions to this timeframe), the Respondent must have sexually abused you. For purposes of this protective order, sexual abuse is defined as sexual contact that between the Respondent and you that:

• You did not consent to or
• You were incapable of consenting to due to age or mental incapacity

Continued Threat of Abuse 

You must have a reasonable fear for your physical safety

Other orders

The Respondent must not be prohibited from contacting you by another restraining order or a no-contact order resulting from a criminal case.