Capture the Evidence = Capture the Abuser
MEDIA RELEASE: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not Bailiwick Express, and the text is reproduced exactly as supplied to us
A ground-breaking new app is available in Jersey, which aims to protect our society’s most vulnerable individuals. Injury Capture empowers victims of abuse and sexual assault by enabling them to record legally admissible evidence, should they be unable to seek immediate Police assistance.
What is it?
- Injury Capture is a FREE app which aids the recording and reporting of violent crime. It allows legally admissible forensic imagery and other associated evidence to be gathered, to support police investigations and prosecutions.
- The app was developed in consultation with police forces, victims’ support organisations, and criminal justice experts.
- Injury Capture can be used by victims and their family, friends, and professionals.
- Evidence can be sent to police within minutes, allowing them to act swiftly or stored for later use.
Why is it needed?
- 1/3 of all crime involves violence and it has the greatest economic and social cost.
- 77% of police recorded domestic abuse incidents can’t proceed to prosecution due to ‘evidential difficulties’. This means the victim cannot prove that an attack took place. Often, this can be because of a delay in reporting the incident. If the victim is unable to report the incident immediately, Injury Capture records and stores the evidence so it can be used when they can.
- Fewer than one in six victims report a sexual assault to the police, stating embarrassment, humiliation and/or they didn’t think the police could help. It’s hoped Injury Capture will increase guilty pleas when abusers are faced with irrefutable evidence, thus saving victims from going to court.
- The global increase in domestic violence during Covid lockdowns has been described as the ‘shadow pandemic’ by the United Nations.
- On average, a victim of domestic abuse has been assaulted between 35 and 50 times before seeking help from the Police, or other support services.
How it works
- App users can take photographs of injuries that are ‘scaled’ (measured) in line with the legal requirements to qualify as forensic evidence.
- Users provide details of the incident and upload any files, videos, notes, messages, etc that are supplementary evidence.
- The data is securely stored according to the legal requirements for court admission, preserving vital metadata which validates the evidence with details such as location and time, etc
- All the data captured with and uploaded to the app will be evidentially admissible and there are no limits on file size or type, so you are free to upload and save all evidence.
- If someone else has some supporting evidence, you can invite them to contribute it to the incident record.
Is it Safe?
- Any data, images or videos captured within the app itself are not stored on your device.
- Rather like a banking app, the app is protected by a unique PIN code set by the user.
- If the victim doesn't feel safe to have it on their own phone, a friend or relative can download it and keep the appon their device.
- The app is fully compliant with data protection and privacy regulations, and certified that the evidence it gathers is legally admissible in a court of law.
Download Injury Capture now – free on Google and Apple app stores, also available on the web. Visit: https://www.injurycapture.com