App helps eyewitnesses record data on crimes

The new iWitnessed app. Photo / AAP

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 today, 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.

Dr 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," Paterson said.

UNSW Professor Richard Kemp believes it will fill a "critical gap" in the legal system.

The app can be used for any type of event, from "traffic accidents to terrorism", and users can also protect the information with a PIN code.

Users are prompted to record facts including the nature of the event, location, time, who was present and whether there were injuries. They can then send their reports to police or secure email addresses.

- AAP