Clare’s Law requests in Wiltshire increasing year on year

Clare’s Law (Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme) – named for Clare Wood who was killed by a former partner police knew to be dangerous – allows police to share someone’s criminal history with their current partner if they feel at risk.

Overall from April 2020 to March 2021, 558 applications under Clare’s Law were submitted by Wiltshire Police.

Embargoed to 0001 Monday January 26..Undated handout photo issued by Greater Manchester Police of Clare Wood as the abusive pasts of more than 1,300 violent partners have been revealed under a scheme rolled out nationally less than a year ago, figures

This is up from 457 to March 2020 and 348 to March 2019.

There are two elements to the law – Right to Ask which allows the public to request disclosure about a potential abuser while Right to Know sees officers seek permission to share information with someone about their partner.

In the latest available statistics for the year to March 2020, the public submitted 267 Right to Ask applications with 86 disclosures approved – around 32 per cent.

Wiltshire officers, meanwhile, submitted 190 applications under Right to Know. At that time 61 or – 32 per cent of which were approved.

A spokesman for the police said: “Clare’s Law is an important tool in protecting individuals from becoming victims of domestic abuse or help victims to decide to leave an abusive relationship.

“We continue to urge anyone who has concerns about a current or a new partner to submit a DVDS request on the force website.

"Concerned friends and family members are also able to make requests on behalf of anyone who could be at risk.”

Jacqui Orchard, business development manager for Splitz Support Service, said part of the rise is down to Wiltshire Police promoting the scheme and greater awareness of domestic violence and what a healthy relationship should look like.

“We have seen a significant increase in people seeking support for domestic abuse and sexual violence within an intimate relationship in Wiltshire during the last year,” Mrs Orchard said.

READ MORE: Revealed: The number of domestic abuse reports received by Wiltshire Police

She said: “The pressures have been much greater for individuals and families with many victims isolated with their perpetrator without the support of community or family networks they would normally be talking to.”

Mrs Orchard pointed to economic and home schooling as other pressures which have added to tensions within homes. “We’ve done a lot more awareness raising of what domestic abuse can look like and that’s been replicated in TV soaps. It’s being talked about more – what the behaviours are and how to recognise it.

"People are beginning to understand it more, which combined with the lockdown pressures – more people are coming forward and seeking help. This is important because the silence enables the abuse to continue”