Use law to prevent domestic violence, police urge

The law gives people the right to ask police if their partner has an abusive past

Police in Jersey are encouraging people to "make better use of Clare's Law to prevent domestic abuse".

The Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme - known as Clare's Law - is intended to provide information that could protect someone from being a victim.

It gives people the right to ask police if their partner has an abusive past.

The initiative is named after 36-year-old Clare Wood who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in 2009 in England.

'Disrupt these perpetrators'

Det Supt Alison Fossey said “Police often hold multiple reports of abuse from different victims of the same perpetrator.

"Serial abusers don’t stop and Clare’s Law can reveal and disrupt these perpetrators."

Det Ch Insp Craig Jackson said: "We are making more and more disclosures every year, but we would encourage everyone to make better use of Clare’s Law to prevent domestic abuse."

You can make a disclosure application if you:

• Think you might be at risk of domestic abuse from a current or ex-partner

• Are worried about someone you know and think they may be at risk of domestic abuse

• Are a professional and you have information that suggests an individual might be at risk of domestic abuse

States of Jersey Police said domestic abuse accounted for 15% of all crime in Jersey.

It said 25 disclosures had been given in 2023, and so far in 2024, 39 had been provided.