Clare’s Law – The Domestic Abuse Disclosure Scheme was created after the murder of Clare Wood, killed by her ex-boyfriend in 2009. Following a pilot scheme in 4 areas Clare’s Law will now be rolled out nationally.
The new law gives members of the public a formal mechanism to make enquiries about an individual who they are in a relationship with or who is in a relationship with someone they know, and there is a concern that the individual mat be abusive towards their partner. If police checks show that the individual has a record of abusive offences, or there is other information to indicate the person you now is at risk, the police will consider sharing this information with the person(s) best placed to protect the potential victim.
The scheme aims to enable potential victims to make an informed choice on whether to continue the relationship, and provides help and support to assist the potential victim when making that informed choice.
Hayley Winstanley who works in the Family Department at Bakers Solicitors comments: ‘The idea behind Clare’s Law is no doubt a step in the right direction for helping to protect those who are at risk of being in a relationship with an abusive partner. However, it will only work if the abuse has been reported and the authorities have been involved. When they have been, Clare’s Law should help people to make informed decisions which should hopefully protect them from abusive relationships. From my experience, it is more common than not that those who are victims of abuse do not share this information with anybody and so it will often be the case that those who perpetrate abuse will not be known to the Police. For those cases, unfortunately the scheme will not provide any protection but if Clare’s Law can help protect just one person, it is a worthy piece of legislation. A positive step overall and is likely to be welcomed by many across the UK.’