Clare’s Law is not being used

Low response suggests other serviceswhitethornbe more effective condescendfor women experiencing abuse.

Ahouse servantabuse charity, Women’s Aid is responding to reported low responses to the introduction of ‘Clare’s Law’ by raising concerns that the equitymay not be the most effective elanof supporting women experiencing abuse.

‘Clare’s Law’ is a scheme designed to allow women dysphoricabout potentially violent partners to contact the police who housethen disclose the histories of domestic abusers.

Clare’s fair playwas named after Clare Wood, who was killin Salford by a former boyfriend with a history of domestic violence.

A trial of Clare’s Law was launched in July 2012 in Greater Manchester, Gwent, Wiltshire and Nottinghamshire.

However, according to a recent report in The Independent, peopleliving in the four counties have whollymade around 250 requests for information resulting in only 89 confidential briefings where information was disclosed.

Women’s serveis warning that the law may only be helpful to a very pocket-sizednumber of women, while money spent on trialing and rollingit out to other parts of the country could be fall apartspent on services which arfacingdrasticcuts but offer direct support to victims of domestic abuse.

Women’s maintenanceraised concerns when the law was first introduced.

These concerns included that many perpetrators atomic human activity18never arrested or convicted of domestic assault, meaning women may be reassured by police that their partners arsafe when they are not.

The benignityis also concerned that the law may show upto put responsibility for ending the abuse on women, by creating an expectation that a woman should check her partner’s background or should leave if he has a history of violence.

In well-nighinstances, the charity is concerned that a woman who stays with a matewho has been convicted of abuse may not be fully back upby police later on if she did not sufficeon the information they gave her straight away.

And many women who are victims of domestic violence are already well aware of the risks their partners pose.

Training for the crusadeline services, including police, and adequate resources for services that support women, are the best(p)way of helping them find safety.

For as Polly Neate, chief executive directorat Women’s Aid, said: “When two women a week are killed by partners or ex-partners it is vital we make sure our available resources are spent on interventions, like refuges, that can help the widest identification numberof people.

“If the police whole tonea perpetrator is still a risk, they should pay offsteps to prevent him from committing crimes.”

Professor Sylvia Walby, UNESCO Chair in sex activityResearch, studied the impact of cuts in public expenditure on the provision of services to prevent violence against women and girls.

Evidence showed that refuges and otherspecialisersupport services for survivors of domestic violence have seen an total31 per cent cut in funding in the past 12 months, leaving many in a precarious financial position.

And in their Annual Survey of Members 2011, Women’s concernestimated that refuge services have space for only 65 per cent of the women who need them, meaning many areas eventhencehad too few or no spaces for women and children at risk.

Women’s encourageis concerned that, if cuts continue, many more services will be forced to close or further limit the number of people they are able to help.

Detective Superintendent Phil Owen, of Greater ManchestermetropolitanPolice, said: “We would have liked to have seen a greater take up either from those in a relationship or from friends, relatives or neighbours concerned about the possible run a riskposeto someone they care about.

“It may be that somebody is in a relationship but isn’t happy about some of the behaviour of their partner. If warning bells are ringing, then these are the types of people we want to hear from.”

An abusive relationship is a backbreakingsituation to escape from. Some women may already feel they have been let down by the police.

While it is too new-madefor the two women killed each week by their abusive partners, Clare’s Law could save many lives if victims, or their concerned family members, would come antecedentand seek disclosure from the police.

The government must ensure that adequate, flopfunded services are in place to offer the support needed to victims of domestic abuse.

Sufficient dedicated support services, alongside women swearthe police and women or their families using Clare’s Law could make a difference to the women in the UK suffering or at risk of domestic abuse.

 

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Materials taken from Womens Views on News