TY - SER AU - Walton, Darren AU - Ellwood, Ross AU - Martin, Samara TI - The likelihood of early guilty pleas following digitally recorded victim statements for family violence PY - 2021/// PB - Sage, KW - New Zealand Police | Ngā Pirihimana o Aotearoa KW - COURTS KW - EVIDENCE KW - FAMILY VIOLENCE KW - INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE KW - PERPETRATORS KW - POLICE PROCEDURES KW - TECHNOLOGY KW - VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE KW - VIDEO EVIDENCE KW - NEW ZEALAND N1 - Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 2021, First published online, 26 November 2021 N2 - This study follows 4715 Family Harm cases for which charges are laid (from around 15,000 events from 2018–2020). Comparisons are made between cases where a digitally recorded victim video statement (VVS) is taken to those who (1) make a written statement, (2) refuse to make any statement and (3) present at the public counter and make a written statement. Findings indicate that VVS increases the rates of an early guilty plea by 95% (OR = 1.95, LCL = 1.34, UCL = 2.7) compared to those who decline a VVS and have a written statement. No difference is observed for those presenting to report an event at a public counter. A more modest effect is observed comparing those who refuse a statement altogether (OR = 1.28, LCL = 1.03, UCL = 1.60). A VVS is nearly twice as likely to lead to an early guilty plea. It is reasoned that there is a poor rate of guilty pleas for written statements, rather than an elevation in rates for VVS. Age and gender are unrelated to the elevated rate of pleading guilty to a VVS. Event seriousness is inversely related to pleading guilty, whereas having many prior convictions or being remanded increases the likelihood of the guilty plea. (Authors' abstract). Record #7380 UR - https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605211055083 ER -