This in from the police, in their own words. Ed
Clare’s Law was developed following the death of Clare Wood who was murdered by her former boyfriend in Salford in 2009.
Also known as the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, it gives the public a formal way of requesting information about a partner’s past.
If they have a history of violence, the police can disclose information in order to protect people at risk.
Three end relationships following use of Clare’s Law
Since it went live last month, Hampshire Constabulary has received 16 requests for information.
So far, that has resulted in the police making five disclosures. In a further three cases potential victims chose not to continue with the relationship after meeting with police.
Under the scheme, anyone with a specific concern can request the information. This includes potential victims themselves or a friend, relative, loved-one, carer or neighbour.
Superintendent Ben Snuggs is Hampshire Constabulary’s lead on domestic abuse. He said:
“At the heart of the scheme is our commitment to improving our ability to identify and protect people who are most vulnerable to a significant risk of domestic abuse. In doing so, we are then able to work with our partners to ensure that person is protected from any further abuse, prevent crime and reduce reoffending. By disclosing information, the scheme aims to give people at risk, their friends, family or carers, for example, the ability to make an informed choice on whether to continue the relationship and provide support whatever the decision.
“Domestic abuse happens in all walks of life, to both men and women in same-sex as well as opposite-sex relationships. It can often remain hidden with victims suffering abuse on average 35 times before they speak out. That’s why this scheme is so important in giving people who suspect someone’s at risk the means of flagging their concerns, the chance to take action and receive ongoing support.”
Clare’s Law – Caron’s story
Caron (not her real name) is 24 and from Southampton. Here she speaks about her personal experience of domestic abuse and her thoughts on Clare’s Law.
“When I was 19 I met a man who was 24. We were together for about 9 months. The abuse began around 5/6 weeks in. This was what felt like my first proper relationship. I had grown up in a very happy house with a loving mum and dad. I had never come across domestic abuse before.
“It began with a lot of emotional abuse that I was completely unprepared for. He would talk about my past every single day with deep jealousy. He would drink a lot and then scream at me with explicit rants.
“Eventually, I felt like I was the things he was calling me. He would pin my head to the wall and scream at me to admit I was the names he called me, or to get me to listen to him. If he thought I wasn’t listening, he would strangle me or chase me if I tried to escape.
“He would pin me to the bed screaming profanities at me and punch the pillow next to my head. He always punched walls, smashed things up and threw things at me, a sign of physical abuse people don’t normally realise.
“He would always say I didn’t care and I believed that he thought this was true, so I would always try to prove I was a good person, not realising how psychologically abusive this was. I would lay in bed every night crying, terrified, not sure how to change the situation.
“The night I ran away was the first time he fully attacked me. He pushed me over, kicked me, and chased me up the stairs. I tried to pack my bags but he emptied them and threw my body through his glass wardrobe, he picked up a piece of glass, clutching it until his hand bled and held it up to me against the wall. His friend kicked the door in to help me and the neighbours came round, they said they were calling the police. Then and there, I was lucky enough to snap out of it.
“After leaving an abusive relationship your risk increases temporarily, he harassed me all day every day and tried to blackmail me to be with him. He ran me down so much that I went to meet him at his hotel near me in hope this would be closure for him and he would leave me alone, there he forced me into things I did not want, I couldn’t see the immense danger I was putting myself in. The harassment after leaving can be just as damaging, but it gets so, so much better once you’re free.”
Clare’s Law
“I think the introduction of Clare’s Law is a fantastic step forward in the protection of those affected by domestic abuse. It is also a great development in the prevention of escalation to a high risk of serious harm or death.
“Often, family, friends, work colleagues and neighbours look on in uncertainty of what they can possibly do to help. I believe that had somebody been able to give me the information that my ex-partner had been abusive to previous girlfriends, this would have planted a seed in my mind to think twice about who I was engaging in a relationship with.”
