Women May Get Right To Vet Internet Dates

Women could be allowed to find out if their partners have a history of violence under new proposals being considered by the Government.

A campaign for what has been dubbed Clare's Law will be launched on Monday with the support of police chiefs and the Government's Victims Commissioner, Louise Casey.

The proposal comes amid concerns that women are increasingly meeting men via the internet and have little or no knowledge of their pasts.

It is backed by the father of Clare Wood, who was murdered in 2009 by a man she met through Facebook.

She was unaware that her killer, George Appleton, had a record of domestic violence against previous partners.

Appleton killed Ms Wood and set her body on fire before hanging himself.

According to the Mail On Sunday, which disclosed the proposal, Home Secretary Theresa May has indicated in a letter that she is considering the idea.

Former Home Office minister Hazel Blears is leading the campaign for the law change and will be joined by Ms Wood's father, Michael Brown, and Brian Moore from the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) for its launch.

Ms Blears said: "Clare's tragic death shows how vulnerable women aren't always protected under the current law."

And Louise Casey said the proposal had her "full support".

"This seems common sense to me. Our priority should not be protecting a perpetrator's privacy at the expense of costing a woman's life," she said.

However, Tory MP Robert Buckland, a member of the Commons Justice Committee, warned there would have to be "strict controls" on such a system.

He told Sky News: "My concern is that we don't end up with a system that could allow people carte blanche to turn up at the police station and go on some sort of fishing expedition to find out the background of a person they may or may not want to go out with."