How to Document Domestic Abuse Evidence (UK)

One of the most common things people say after leaving an abusive relationship is: "I wish I'd kept records." Evidence that feels overwhelming and confusing when you're living it can be organised, named, and presented clearly — but only if it's been preserved.

This guide explains what counts as evidence, how to gather and preserve it safely, and how to present it to police, solicitors, or court.

What counts as domestic abuse evidence

Domestic abuse includes physical violence, emotional and psychological abuse, coercive control, financial abuse, and sexual abuse. Evidence can take many forms:

• Messages — WhatsApp, texts, emails, social media messages. These are often the most powerful evidence because they're in the abuser's own words.
• Medical records — GP notes, hospital records, records of injuries treated
• Police records — reports made, call-out logs (CAD numbers), DASH risk assessments
• Photographs — injuries, damaged property, anything observable and dated
• Witness accounts — friends, family, neighbours who witnessed incidents or their effects on you or your children
• Financial records — bank accounts controlled, money withheld, debts forced
• Your own records — a contemporaneous diary of incidents with dates and exact words

The problem with thousands of messages

Many people experiencing coercive control have hundreds or thousands of messages that show the pattern — but they can't make sense of them individually. The abuser's tactics are designed to seem minor in isolation. The pattern only becomes visible across the full timeline.

This is exactly what AI analysis tools are built for. Upload your WhatsApp export and run a DARVO analysis to surface the patterns of deny, attack, and reverse victim that appear across months or years of messages.

How to preserve your evidence safely

• Export your WhatsApp chats — Settings → Chat → Export Chat → Without Media. This gives you a complete dated record.
• Screenshot threatening messages — but always keep the original too. Screenshots alone can be challenged.
• Back up to a safe location — an email account the abuser doesn't know about, a cloud account, a trusted friend's device
• Photograph injuries immediately — with timestamp if possible, or in front of a clock or dated newspaper
• Keep a contemporaneous diary — write incidents down as they happen, not months later

Reporting to police

You do not have to make a formal complaint to report. You can call 101 to report an incident and ask for it to be logged — this creates a record even if you're not ready to pursue a criminal case. Always ask for the CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch) number for any call you make.

If police attend, ask them to complete a DASH (Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Honour-Based Violence) risk assessment. This becomes part of the record.

Using evidence in family court

If your domestic abuse case intersects with family court proceedings, Practice Direction 12J requires the court to consider domestic abuse in all cases involving children. Evidence of abuse is directly relevant to contact arrangements and the welfare checklist.

Present your evidence as a clear chronology — dates, incidents, supporting documentation. The CAFCASS safeguarding letter and any police records will be requested automatically by the court.

Related guides

• What is DARVO? How to identify it in messages
• Can you use WhatsApp messages as evidence in court?
• How to document safeguarding concerns for family court
• What is parental alienation and how do you prove it?

Not legal advice. National DA Helpline: 0808 2000 247 (free, 24 hours). Consult a qualified solicitor for advice specific to your situation.