Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme

Commonly known as Clare’s Law, the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS) is named after Clare Wood who was murdered in 2009 by her boyfriend.

The DVDS gives members of the public a formal mechanism to make enquiries about an individual who they are in a relationship with, or who is in a relationship with someone they know, where there is a concern that the individual may be violent towards their partner.

Anybody can make an enquiry, but information is only given to someone at risk or a person who is in a position to safeguard the victim.

The scheme is for anyone in an intimate relationship regardless of gender.

The intention is to give potential victims information about the history of their partner, so they can make an informed decision about the relationship.

What is this scheme?

The aim of the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS) is to give you a formal mechanism to make enquiries about an individual who you are in a relationship with or who is in a relationship with someone you know, and there is a concern that they may be abusive towards either yourself or their partner.

If police checks show that this person has a record of abusive offences, or there is other information to indicate either you or the person you know is at risk, the police will consider sharing this information with the person(s) best placed to protect the individual at risk.

The police will discuss your concerns with you and decide whether it is appropriate for you to be given more information to help protect the person who is in the relationship with the individual that you are concerned about. The scheme aims to enable you or someone you know to make an informed choice on whether to continue a relationship, and provides further help and support to assist you when making that informed choice.

Who can ask for disclosure?

A disclosure under this scheme is the sharing of specific information about your partner with either you or a third person for the purposes of protecting you from domestic violence. You can make an application about your partner or ex-partner if you have a concern that they might harm you. Any concerned third party, such as your parent, neighbour or friend can also make an application if they are concerned about you. However, a third party person making an application would not necessarily receive information about your partner or ex-partner. It may be more appropriate for someone else to receive the information, such as you, or a person that is in a position to protect you from the abuse. Information will only be given to someone who is in a position to use the information to protect you from the abuse.

How do I make an application?

Anyone can make an application to the police if they have a concern about a specific individual.

Compose an email to hello@jersey.police.je, and put Clare's Law Disclosure Application in the email subject. In the email, include:

• your details (name, address, phone number, email, and date of birth),
• the details of the person you are concerned about (name, address, phone number, email, and date of birth),
• the details of the person who is concerning you (name, address, phone number, email, and date of birth),
• explain your relationship to the person who concerns you,
• and outline your concerns.

Your application will be reviewed and someone will be in contact.

If you believe there is an immediate risk of harm to someone, or it is an emergency, you should always call 999.