Yahoo News Domestic killings fall as women use Clare’s Law to check partners
Domestic homicides fell by nearly 50 per cent in London last year as police used “Clare’s Law” to warn hundreds more women about their new partner’s abusive history.
Scotland Yard’s new online portal made it easier for potential victims, or concerned relatives, to ask officers to disclose if an individual posed serious risk.
Last year, the Met made 468 disclosures, compared with 317 in 2018 and 195 in 2017. Domestic homicides fell from 27 in 2018 to 15 last year — even though the overall toll of 149 killings was an 11-year high.
Set up in 2014, the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme — known as Clare’s Law — enables people to ask police if their partner has a history of domestic violence.
It followed a five-year campaign by the parents of Clare Wood, 36, who was strangled and set on fire by a man she met on Facebook, unaware of his violent past in Greater Manchester.
Acting Detective Chief Inspector Pam Chisholm, who leads the Met’s Domestic Abuse Team, told the Standard police should not be complacent about the fall in female killings.
She said: “My overall responsibility is to eradicate domestic homicide. I would 100 per cent say one killing is one too many. We’ve gone to great lengths to advertise Clare’s Law. We would encourage anyone with concerns about their partner, or family members who think someone is in relationship that doesn’t feel right, to come forward and ask the question. We will only disclose information to the relevant person. If a mother asks, we would research and identify if there was a need for a disclosure, then reach out to the daughter.”
She said there had been a cultural change in the Met, so that all staff are talking about tackling and preventing domestic abuse. Information was shared with other agencies, such as social services, and after each homicide there is a review to make recommendations.
“We are doing a lot with victims to reduce the risk”, said DCI Chisholm.
Last year, after police in London were called to domestic incidents, 592 suspected abusers were issued with prevention notices barring them from entering the family home for 48 hours. Five hundred more magistrates’ court orders were granted to ban partners from returning for 14 to 28 days.
The Met’s progress on domestic abuse is now accredited by White Ribbon UK, which campaigns for an end to male violence against women, and Everyone’s Business which urges employers to play a role in prevention.
