Investigation
Domestic abuse — Authorised Professional Practice
Summary
This section provides guidance on the police approach to investigating domestic abuse. Officers are urged to follow the Investigation APP and guidelines for conducting effective investigations. Investigations should be victim-centred, suspect-focused, and context-led, looking beyond immediate offences to identify underlying patterns of abusive behaviour. Additional considerations for linked crime types and safeguarding concerns are highlighted. Effective communication with the victim is crucial, including informing them about actions taken and developments. The page also details essential investigation components such as policy files and plans for disclosure, surveillance, and victim care.
Key principles
- 1Investigations should be victim-centred, suspect-focused, and context-led.
- 2Officers must look beyond the immediate offence to identify patterns of abusive behaviour.
- 3Effective communication with victims is essential to maintain trust and cooperation.
- 4Utilize guidance from Appendices A, B, and C for specific vulnerabilities and checklists.
- 5Investigations may require plans for disclosure, surveillance, and victim care.
Full guidance
Guidance on the police approach to domestic abuse.
This page is from APP, the official source of professional practice for policing.
Investigators should follow the guidance set out in the Investigation APP and the conducting effective investigations guidelines . When investigating domestic abuse, officers should look beyond the immediate offence to identify any underlying patterns of abusive behaviour. They should conduct investigations that are victim-centred, suspect-focused and context-led.
Some domestic abuse cases may involve linked crime types or safeguarding concerns that require additional investigative considerations. Officers should refer to:
for guidance on offences that commonly overlap with domestic abuse where victim‑specific vulnerabilities may influence risk, engagement or investigative strategy * quick access checklists in Appendix C – these may assist officers when planning or reviewing investigative actions, but should always be used alongside the detailed guidance in this APP
Effective communication is central to maintaining trust and cooperation. Officers should explain their actions and decisions to the victim. This may include:
why they are speaking with children * obtaining medical evidence * requesting consent for information sharing * ensuring that victims are kept informed of developments throughout the investigation
Investigation should proceed in parallel with other positive actions to enhance victim safety, including:
domestic violence protection notices and orders (DVPNs and DVPOs)
An effective investigation requires developing the following, where appropriate, in accordance with national and local protocols:
policy file * disclosure plan * surveillance plan * victim care plan * witness management plan * suspect management plan
Where a case attracts or is likely to attract media interest, go to communication strategy.
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Read the full APP guidanceSource: College of Policing — Authorised Professional Practice · Crown copyright, licensed under Open Government Licence v3.0. Summary fetched 2026-06-27.