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Domestic Abuse support in Warwickshire

The Clare's Law - Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS)

Clare’s Law was introduced in 2014, and named after Clare Wood, who was murdered by her abusive ex-boyfriend. Clare’s Law was created to formally give you the right to find out if you’re worried that your current or former partner has been abusive or violent in the past.

Under Clare’s Law, you have the right to:

  • Make an application to the police requesting information about your current or ex-partner, because you are worried that they may have been abusive in the past and believe they may pose a risk to you in future.
  • Request information from the police about the current or ex-partner of a close friend, neighbour or family member, because you are concerned that they might be at risk of domestic abuse in future.

This is called the ‘right to ask.’ You have a right to ask as long as you are aged 16 or older. You also have the right to ask about a partner regardless of your (or your neighbour, friend or family member’s) gender identity, ethnicity, race, religion or other characteristics.

You also have the ‘right to know’. This means that if police checks show that your current or ex-partner has a record of violent or abusive behaviour, and they believe you may be at risk, they may decide to proactively share that information with you.

View more information on Clare's Law

Please note: The Clare’s Law (DVDS) scheme does not replace: CRB (Criminal Record Bureau) Checks, DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks, subject access requests or FOI requests.

Request information under Clare’s Law: Make a Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme(DVDS) application