Type:	Journal Article
Title:	Victim cooperation and the prosecution of domestic violence in a specialized court
Other Titles:	Justice quarterly
Authors:	Dinovitzer, Ronit Dawson, Myrna
Keywords:	Specialist courts;Criminal justice responses;Legal issues
Year:	2001
Publisher:	The Academy
Citation:	18 (3), September 2001
Notes:	Low rates of prosecution of domestic violence are partly caused by the victims’ unwillingness to press charges or participate as witnesses. This paper examines case files from a specialised domestic violence court in Toronto, Canada to determine the role of witness cooperation in the prosecution of domestic violence cases. Age, gender and marital status were significant factors in prosecuting an offender. Young males legally married to the victim were the most vulnerable group to prosecution. Victim cooperation increased the likelihood of prosecution sevenfold more than if the victim was perceived as uncooperative. The availability of videotaped statements and the victim’s meeting with representatives of the Victim/Witness Assistance Program (VWAP) positively influenced the chances of witness cooperation and subsequent prosecution.
URI:	https://anrows.intersearch.com.au/anrowsjspui/handle/1/12293
ISSN:	0741-8825
Appears in Collections:	Journal Articles

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