New legislation aimed at reducing domestic violence needs further publicity from local authorities, say Islington residents and women’s charities.
The appeal follows the revelation that just four members of the public in Islington used the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS) since it was introduced in March 2014.
The scheme, commonly known as Clare’s Law, allows members of the public to ask local police whether their partner poses a possible risk of domestic violence.
In certain circumstances, police can also proactively disclose information in order to protect someone who may be at risk of becoming a victim of domestic violence.
Responding to the figures, Katrin Maier, 36, said:
“I definitely think that more should be done to publicise the scheme. I’m an academic, and my speciality is gender, so I’m very surprised that I haven’t heard of it before.”
Similarly, Kate Cooper, 23, said: “If the scheme’s public, Islington council and police should make it more available in the public space.”
“I think it’s ridiculous when you compare the ratio of domestic incidents in London [64,000 over the past year] to the number of applications made under the scheme by the public.”
Sawsan Salim, director of the Kurdish and Middle East Women’s Organisation, an Islington group that supports abused women from Iraq, Iran and Eastern Turkey, described Clare’s Law as a “positive step” yet stressed the need for more publicity.
She said:
“There are still loads of people at risk of being victims of domestic violence who do not know who to turn to, or what the police could do for them. They all have absolutely no idea about Clare’s Law.”
Commenting on Islington Council, she added: “In the past, they have been one of the best authorities we’ve worked with for tackling domestic abuse…but now they’re not very active simply because of money.
“Every year, they say the government is cutting funding. If we don’t have people who are responsible to work closely with the community groups, how are people going to hear about things like Clare’s Law?”
Catherine Díaz, a caseworker at Latin American Women’s Aid (LAWA), an Islington organisation and refuge for abused Latin American women, reiterated the “real need” for further publicity about Clare’s Law.
She also described how Islington Council has scrapped LAWA’s remaining £80,000 funding, meaning the refuge faces closure unless alternative funding sources can be found within the next few weeks.
She said:
“It’s a real shame that services like ours are being cut. For many women, it’s a home and a way to start a new life, allowing them to recover a part of them that was destroyed by abusive relationships.
“Every day, we have more and more cases of domestic abuse arriving at the refuge. Yet every day, the council is cutting funding to domestic violence services, and they do not see that as a problem.”
The statistics for Islington, obtained exclusively via Freedom of Information (FOI) request, reveal it as the fifth most London borough to have used the scheme over the past 12 months.
In response to the figures, a spokesperson from Women’s Aid said: “Clearly, the women that made an application under Clare’s Law to Islington Police did so because they had serious concerns about their partner’s behaviour.
“It is vital that the police take action to help women stay safe by offering protective measures like phone flagging, and by giving details of specialist domestic violence services that will be able to help if they are experiencing violence.”
The Law
Clare’s Law is named after 36-year-old Clare Wood, who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend, George Appleton, at her Manchester home six years ago last month.
Mr Appleton, who strangled Ms Wood before setting her on fire, had a record of repeated violence against women that he had always kept secret from Ms Wood.
Yet the adopted name for the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, introduced last year to coincide with International Women’s Day, has prompted criticism from UK charities dedicated to supporting male victims of domestic abuse.
Mark Brooks, Chairman of the ManKind Initiative, has been outspoken about the government’s choice of name, arguing that it suggests the scheme is only for women.
He said: “There has been no strong message from the Home Office, police and Crown Prosecution Service that it is not women-only. With the scheme’s adopted name, it is very doubtful a male member of the public will think it applies to them.”
Break the silence
If you are experiencing domestic violence, don’t suffer in silence.
For information, advice, support or emergency refuge accommodation call:
24 hour National Domestic Violence Helpline: 0808 2000 247.
In an emergency always call 999.
