It's not a thing in US law either (at least in the states I'm aware of). "Do you want to press charges" is just a colloquialism that means "do you want the pros

It's not a thing in US law either (at least in the states I'm aware of). "Do you want to press charges" is just a colloquialism that means "do you want the prosecutor to press charges, and will you cooperate as a witness." In less serious cases the victim's wishes are taken into account. However, the prosecutor is the one who charges the accused, and consent or cooperation from the victim isn't needed. It is hard to convict in cases where an uncooperative victim is the only witness, but it happens in domestic abuse cases all the time.