New crime-fighter app

A NEW smartphone app to help people record and store information after witnessing crimes will fill a critical gap in the legal system, Sydney researchers say.

iWitnessed, launched yesterday, includes guided questioning and helps users create text, voice recordings, images and map locations that are all time-stamped in case it needs to be used by police in court.

The free app was developed by experts from the University of Sydney and UNSW, who consulted with NSW Police and lawyers, and also has the backing of former NSW Director of Public Prosecutions Nicholas Cowdery QC.

He says the content could be relied upon in court in the same way as contemporaneous notes or recordings to refresh a person’s memory.

“Contemporaneous notes, even if scribbled on the back of a napkin, can strengthen the reliability and strength of the evidence being given in court proceedings,” he said in a statement.

Helen Paterson, a senior forensic psychology lecturer at the University of Sydney who worked on the app, says iWitnessed is a best-practice immediate recall tool.

“This project places Australia at the forefront of international initiatives to improve the collection of eyewitness evidence and it will help in the investigation and prosecution of incidents,” Dr Paterson said.