Abuse victims to be given second phones to boost conviction rates

Victims of domestic abuse and stalking are to be given second phones after they hand theirs over for evidence as part of an initiative intended to improve conviction rates.

Under the trial scheme, run by Islington council, the phones will be distributed to help complainants continue with their daily lives while their own devices are examined by police for evidence.

It was introduced following concerns that the current system, which leaves the chance of having to live without a phone, is deterring victims from reporting offences and contributing to low prosecution rates for abuse.

The scheme will also enable people at risk of further violence from an abuser to easily call the authorities for help if necessary.

Once the scheme launches in April, 100 pay-as-you-go replacement phones a year will be handed out through the police over a three-year period.

It is expected to be particularly useful in abuse cases involving coercive control or stalking, in which phone date often provides the most critical evidence.

An estimated 12,000 reports of domestic abuse have been registered in Islington over the past five years, but it is widely believed that far more cases go unreported. 

Councillor Andy Hull, representing Highbury West in Islington, warned that action was needed because too many perpetrators were getting away with offending.

“We hope the smartphone replacement scheme will remove one of the obstacles to survivors securing the justice they deserve,” he said.