Under Justitia’s lens: the efficacy of NSW Police Force audio-visual evidentiary statements for domestic violence matters

Domestic violence (DV) incidents are problematic to investigate and prosecute. A significant contributor to this is that complainants’ testimonies are typically fundamental, and often the singular evidence. High withdrawal numbers, redacted statements and lengthy waiting periods between incidents and court that lead to confabulations, have long affected this form of evidence and reduced the probability of conviction. In 2015 amendments to the Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW) allowed for the introduction of audio-visually recorded statements by DV complainants to be used in court as evidence-in-chief. These interview statements, referred to as Domestic Violence Evidence-in-Chief (DVEC) are taken at the scene or as soon as practicable after an incident. Domestic Violence Evidence-in-Chief (DVEC) has both altered the mode of evidentiary submission and become a primary tool for policing DV in New South Wales. However, currently there are few published studies into DVEC (re prosecutorial probity and court outcomes) and no published studies evaluating DVEC methodology, therefore, potential benefits are speculative.