Clare's Law project looks for 'silenced' victims

Violence charity Refuge saw a 54% rise in women contacting its helpline after lockdown was lifted in July

Victims who made use of a law aimed at preventing domestic abuse are being asked to share their experiences for a research project.

Researchers at Lancaster University say disclosures made under Clare's Law almost doubled from 2017 to 2019.

The legislation is intended to provide information that could protect someone from being a victim of attack.

The university said victims were "often silenced" and the research would give survivors "an opportunity to be heard".

Clare's Law is named after 36-year-old Clare Wood, murdered by her ex-boyfriend in 2009.

Ms Wood was strangled and set on fire at her home in Salford, Greater Manchester, in February 2009 by George Appleton, who had a record of violence against women.

Clare’s Law was rolled out in England and Wales in 2014 as the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS).

It enables police to disclose normally confidential information about a person's criminal history to someone deemed to be at risk of future abuse.

Mother-of-one Clare Wood was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in 2009

Ms Wood's father, Michael Brown, campaigned for the introduction of the law and the "right to know" about a person's history of violence.

He believed his daughter would still be alive had she known more of Appleton's background.

The number of disclosures made under Clare's Law nearly doubled from 3,410 in the year ending March 2017 to 6,583 in the year ending March 2019, say researchers at Lancaster University.

"Victim and survivors' voices are often silenced and with this research we want to ensure they have the opportunity for their experiences and perspectives to be heard,” said Dr Charlotte Barlow, who is leading the project.