Northumbria Police sees surge in Clare’s Law applications

From December 14 to 31, the force shared a series of social media posts which featured genuine experiences from past users of the Clare’s Law disclosure service. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, instances of domestic abuse typically soar. Given this worrying trend, the focus of the campaign was on pushing vital information about Clare’s Law to the forefront of people’s minds.

The campaign bore fruit, with an almost 60 per cent surge in applications for the service. There were 104 applications submitted within the campaign period in 2023, a significant increase from the 66 recorded in 2022. In addition to personal testimonies from past users, the series of posts also debunked common misconceptions about factors such as applicant eligibility, processing times, and the provision for third parties to apply.

Chief Superintendent Lyn Peart, Head of Northumbria’s Safeguarding Department said: “I’m really pleased that we’re seeing the tangible results of this campaign, which gives us the opportunity to safeguard a larger amount of people than ever before. “Our ultimate aim is to spread awareness of the tools and initiatives in place to keep people in our communities safe, which is the main priority for Northumbria Police. “For anyone who didn’t already know, Clare’s Law – formally known as The Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS) – was first introduced in 2014 to protect anyone at risk of Domestic Abuse.

“The law was named after Clare Wood – a woman who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend, who had a history of violent offending against his previous partners, which Clare didn’t know about at the time. “Since her tragic and avoidable death, anyone across the country have been able to request information from any police force under the Right to Ask scheme.” Residents keen on making a Clare’s Law disclosure, either for their own protection or on behalf of another individual, have been urged to visit the Northumbria Police website.

The service is free and 100 per cent confidential.