Calls to use police videos in domestic violence cases to boost chances of convicting abusers

DOMESTIC violence service workers have joined calls for changes to evidence laws which would allow videos recorded by police to be played in court, in a bid to boost the chances of convicting abusers.

Videos recorded by police could help save the lives of domestic violence victims. Picture: iStock

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DOMESTIC violence service workers have joined growing calls for changes to evidence laws which would allow videos recorded by police to be played in court, in a bid to boost the chances of convicting abusers.

South Australia’s Police Commissioner, Chief Magistrate and former Status of Women Minister are among those to back the change.

NSW courts became the first in the nation to accept video statements in May last year.

Since then, authorities there report a 40 per cent increase in convictions in domestic violence cases. It also prompted more offenders to plead guilty before trial.

In April, the SA Parliament’s Social Development Committee recommended that Attorney-General John Rau amend the Evidence Act to allow evidence taken from a victim by police, using body cameras at the time of an incident, to be admissible at trial.

Committee chairwoman and former Status of Women Minister Gail Gago said it was a “sensible” change which “could save a life”.

“We’ve seen it work really well in other jurisdictions and evidence the committee received showed the enormous duress that victims can be under to withdraw their complaint (against an abuser),” she said.

“(Police officers) have got the cameras on them, they’re taking footage and can’t use it for the purposes of these sorts of crimes.

“We know that the police want it and (anti-) domestic violence organisations want it. It could save a life.”

Mr Rau said the State Government would consider the issue as part of a discussion paper his office was preparing to release in coming weeks.

Centacare Limestone Coast domestic violence service manager Susie Smith said it would be “a very good move” to allow video evidence in court.

“It would be helpful for women who didn’t want to go to court or couldn’t recall the level of distress from the time (of an assault),” she said.

“It’s a better account of the distress and the trauma that that abuse would have caused.”

However, Ms Smith said a victim should retain the right to withdraw permission for the video to be used in court.

Central Domestic Violence Service executive director Maria Hagias hoped such a change would lead to more convictions. However, it would “require serious consideration”.

“Broadening out the evidence that is admissible in court ensures that the violence experienced by women is clearly demonstrated through video footage and does not rely on oral evidence,” she said.

“These measures also expand the range of evidence presented to the court which we hope would result in higher conviction rates”.

Also on Tuesday, Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said police had issued about 1500 more intervention orders — used mainly to protect victims of domestic violence — in 2014-15, compared to the previous year.