‘Clare’s Law’, also known as the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS), is a police policy giving people the right to know if their current or ex-partner has any previous history of violence or abuse. Ten years on, Tunisha Kumar looks at what the law means and what impact it has had.
The scheme was formally rolled out in England and Wales in 2014 and is named after Clare Wood, who was murdered by her abusive ex-boyfriend in 2009. Her ex-boyfriend’s history of violence towards women was unknown to Clare.
Under Clare’s Law you have the right to ask and the right to know – What does this mean?
The ‘right to ask’ means that you can make a DVDS application to ask about a current or ex-partner that you think might have a record of abusive behaviour or violence. You can also ask on behalf of a close friend or relative, who you think might be at a risk from their current or ex-partner.
The ‘right to know’ means that if police checks show that your current or former partner has a history of abusive behaviour, they may proactively share that information with you because they believe you are at future risk.
Under The Domestic Abuse Act 2021, victims have a legal right to check out the offending history of their partner, and this is no longer at the police discretion.
The Impact of Clare’s Law
In the year ending March 2023, an estimated 2.1 million people (4.4% of the population) aged 16 and over in England and Wales suffer some form of domestic abuse; 1.4 million female (5.7% of women) and 751,000 male victims (3.2% of men).[1]
In 2023, eight women a month were killed by a current or former partner in England and Wales. [2] In the same year there were 45,344 Clare’s Law applications made in England and Wales, a rise of 300% in five years, according to figures provided by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS).
The total above comprises of 27,419 ‘right to ask’ requests, where a person asks the police about their partner or ex-partner and 17,925 ‘right to know’ applications, whereby the police make the proactive decision to warn someone about their partners history to protect them from potential future abuse.
Clare’s Law now operates in several countries across the world and has paved the way for further domestic violence legislation.
The Importance of Applying for Clare’s Law
Each year more than 75,000 people in the United Kingdom are at high and imminent risk of being murdered or seriously injured as a result of domestic abuse. [3]
Over 105,000 children live in homes where there is high-risk domestic abuse, 78% of children living with domestic abuse are directly harmed by the perpetrator of the abuse, in addition to the harm caused by witnessing the abuse of others. [4]
To make an application for information under Clare’s Law, you should contact your local police force. You can make an application on your own behalf or on behalf of someone you know.
[1, 2, 3 & 4] SafeLives (2023) Marac national dataset, SafeLives: Bristol.
