11/03/2025
Recantation occurs in about 80% of domestic violence criminal cases.
It makes sense: Victims of domestic violence have an intimate relationship that is often spousal, romantic, sexual, parental, social, psychological, and/or financial with the offender. In many cases, victims want the abuse to stop or their abuser to be taken for the night, but not necessarily arrested and prosecuted.
Recantation might look like:
➜ Minimizing the incident
➜ Denying it happened
➜ Faulting him or herself
➜ Refusing to participate in prosecution
For many victims, recantation can feel like the safest and most prudent course of action.
Source: National Domestic Violence Prosecution Best Practices Guide → Find it in EVAWI’s Resource Library: https://evawintl.org/resource-library/
