Contested images: body-worn cameras and the production of legal evidence in domestic violence cases

Abstract

In the Brazilian legal system, images incorporated into case files are generally regarded as robust forms of evidence in the reconstruction of facts. With the introduction of body-worn cameras in police forces, the use of audiovisual recordings captured in real time has expanded, particularly in situations of arrest in flagrante delicto. Owing to their immediacy and sensitivity, such images open up multiple interpretive possibilities, becoming central elements in the construction of legal narratives. Recent studies have examined the use of these recordings in drug trafficking cases, analyzing how they are interpreted by judicial actors (Faber, 2022; Tommaso, Martins & Mello, 2025; Jesus, 2024; Toledo et. al., 2025). However, there remains a significant gap in the Brazilian literature concerning the effects of these images on the judicial processing of domestic violence cases. International research indicates that incidents documented through body-worn cameras are more likely to result in formal charges, confessions, and convictions (Katz et al., 2015; Owens, Mann & McKenna., 2014; Morrow, Katz & Choate, 2016), as they provide more precise documentation of the emotional, physical, and material context of violence.