The devil is in the detail: an evaluation of domestic violence evidence-in-chief in policing practice

Domestic and family violence (DFV) is a major contributor to the daily core work of law enforcement officers, and recent decades have not only seen enormous changes in the way they respond to DFV but increasing public and government scrutiny of that response. One contemporary policing practice, aimed at improving evidence collection and complainants’ experience of the criminal justice system is the use of DFV complainants’ video-recorded statements with police as evidence-in-chief. Labelled Domestic Violence Evidence-in-Chief (DVEC) in Australia, or Victim Video Statement (VVS) in New Zealand, this form of evidence collection has been shown to have a positive effect on findings of guilt, however, there is limited research into its utility in policing practice generally. Using data from 25 interviews with DFV complainants, 46 interviews with law enforcement and close analysis of 28 DVEC, this study critically reflects on the potential benefits and pitfalls of DVEC and identifies future directions of this technology.