The digital consent forms ask victims of crime to hand over their phones so officers can look for evidence, including rape complainants.
Police bosses are urging the Crown Prosecution Service to scrap a policy of asking crime victims in England and Wales to hand over their phones.
If victims do not comply, prosecutions may not go ahead.
But the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners say the forms should be withdrawn.
The forms – which have been introduced in all 43 police forces in England and Wales – ask for permission to view data including messages, photographs, emails and social media accounts.
Victims’ groups say they amount to a “digital strip search” – and now, police commissioners say they could lead to a loss of confidence in the criminal justice system.
The APCC’s Dame Vera Baird told the Observer – which first reported the story – that material unconnected to the case was being used to discredit complainants.
And the group’s Julia Mulligan added that it was “truly awful” that victims needed to “expose oneself to this in return for an investigation”.
Police and crime commissioners are elected officials who hold their chief constables to account.
The forms were introduced in response to the disclosure scandal, when several court cases collapsed after crucial evidence emerged at the last minute.
The police and the CPS say the forms will only be used when relevant, and they have invited victims’ groups to help improve the form.
Source: BBC
