When police officers receive a mobile phone as part of an investigation — but don’t have the tools, training, or legal clearance to extract or analyze certain types of evidence (like encrypted messages, deleted content, or app data) — they will often send the device to a specialized unit or external digital forensic department for further examination.
Here’s how that process usually works:
🔍 1. Local Police Seize the Device
The police (or Guardia Civil, depending on your location in Spain or elsewhere in the EU) will:
- Log the phone into evidence
- Label it under a case number
- Secure it in a sealed evidence bag
- Record a chain of custody to ensure it isn’t tampered with
📌 Note: Chain of custody is vital to preserve the validity of the evidence in court. If this is broken, the defense can argue that the evidence was contaminated or altered.
🧪 2. Device is Transferred to a Specialized Department
If the local station doesn’t have a digital forensics team, they will typically send the phone to:
- A regional or national Cyber Crime Unit
- A Forensic Technology Lab
- A department specializing in Violence Against Women (VAW) or gender-based digital abuse, especially in Spain
- Or in serious cases (e.g. terrorism, trafficking, high-profile stalking), to Interpol or a central intelligence unit
🧰 3. Forensic Analysis Is Conducted
This may include:
- Extraction of deleted data (texts, call logs, photos, WhatsApp messages, etc.)
- Analysis of encrypted apps like Signal or Telegram
- Geolocation data from GPS and app activity
- Social media usage
- Search history and browsing activity
- Hidden apps or files
- Screenshots, screen recordings, and even audio notes
They use specialist software such as Cellebrite, Oxygen Forensics, or Magnet AXIOM, which are designed to pull evidence from nearly any type of smartphone — even if passcode-locked.
📅 4. Results Are Sent Back to the Investigating Officers
Once analysis is complete, the results are compiled into a forensic report that may include:
- Full transcripts of conversations
- Timeline of communication
- Evidence of threats, coercion, or control
- Media files and metadata (who, when, where)
- Expert statements verifying authenticity
That report is then added to your legal case file and may be used in court or prosecution.
⏳ How Long Does It Take?
This depends on:
- The backlog in forensic departments
- The complexity of the phone (encryption, app usage)
- The urgency of your case (e.g., active threat vs historical abuse)
It can take a few weeks to several months, though urgent cases (especially involving danger to life) may be prioritized.
⚖️ What If You’re the Victim and Handed Over Your Phone?
If you voluntarily gave police your phone as a victim of abuse, it’s important to know:
- You can ask for a receipt and reference number
- You have the right to know where it was sent and what stage it’s at
- You should be told when it’s returned or if evidence is extracted
- You may want to back up your content first, if safe to do so
If you haven’t heard updates in weeks or months, you’re absolutely entitled to request information from your case officer or legal representative.
🛡️ Real-Life Relevance in Abuse Cases:
In domestic violence, stalking, coercive control, and psychological abuse cases, mobile phones often hold the most critical proof:
- Threatening messages that were deleted
- Hidden recordings
- Photos of injuries
- Voice memos or apps used to track, control, or manipulate
Many survivors report that when verbal abuse wasn’t believed, digital footprints finally validated their experience.
