Injury Capture, the free app designed to empower victims of sexual assault, domestic abuse and other violent crimes, reached a significant milestone last week.
Its aim is to increase the number of successful prosecutions and relieve much of the burden of evidence gathering for police personnel following violent crimes.
Victims, their families, friends or colleagues can download the app and are guided through a process of logging their injuries and supporting evidence at a forensically accepted level.
Last week, the first person in Jersey used the Injury Capture app to report a violent incident. With the admissible evidence captured, saved and submitted via the app, police were able to take swift positive action. Although going straight to the police is the preferred action; victims often do not feel ready to do so immediately following an incident, for any number of reasons.
With the use of the app, evidence will be stored securely according to the legal requirements for court admission, preserving the vital metadata that validates the evidence. This way, when the victim is ready, the evidence is also ready to support their case.
CEO and founder of Anatomap, the technology company which developed the Injury Capture app, Simon Franc (pictured) was pleased someone locally found the courage to seek help using the app. “Injury Capture has always been something we, of course, hoped no-one would ever have to use, but it’s crucial that it is there for people when they need it.
“Statistics show that one in three women will be abused in their lives, but with such a high forensic threshold for evidence, conviction rates sit at a disappointing 2%. I am confident that this is the start of many more victims taking action with the app. In turn, conviction rates will improve, increasing the deterrent for offenders and therefore preventing more crimes from taking place.
