Almost 30,000 Scots women check if partners have secret violent past using police programme
Almost 30,000 women have used a police programme to find out if their partner has a secret violent past since it was introduced.
The Disclosure Scheme for Domestic Abuse in Scotland (DSDAS), also known as Clare's Law, gives women the right to ask police if a current or ex-partner has a record of abusive behavour.
Data shows Police Scotland received 20,005 applications for background checks in the eight years to October 2023.
A further 7296 were submitted between April 1, 2024, and March – up 23.4 per cent on the previous 12 months – taking the overall total to 27,300 based on available data.
Out of the 20,005 applications, Police Scotland issued 11,599 disclosures that individuals had violent or abusive convictions.
Data on the number issued in relation to the applications made in 2024-25 was not available.
Scottish Tory MSP Pam Gosal, who is championing a Bill to help protect victims, warned the number using the scheme exposed the 'shocking prevalence of domestic violence in Scotland'.
She said: 'Whilst it's welcome that this flagship scheme is being used, it remains the case that far too many women are at risk of abuse and are not receiving the support they desperately need.
'It is vital the SNP Government give their backing to my Prevention of Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Bill which is prog-ressing through Parliament and will help protect survivors, by providing our police force with the resources necessary to tackle this spiralling issue.'
Scottish Lib Dem justice spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP said the data 'suggests awareness of this scheme is increasing'.
He said: 'As with any change in the law, it is important the Parliament and the Scottish Government keep the effectiveness of this scheme under review so any teething problems can be ironed out.
'I would be keen to know what impact it has had on police workload and whether they feel they have the resources they need to meet the needs of this scheme.'
Clare's Law was named after mum Clare Wood, 36, who was murdered and set on fire in 2009 by her ex-boyfriend George Appleton.
Clare's dad Michael Brown, who is originally from Aberdeen, campaigned to allow people to check with police whether their partner had a record of abusive behaviour.
The disclosure scheme gives victims and loved ones the right to ask police about an abuser's criminal background and also gives cops powers to proactively disclose information on those they feel pose a risk.
Dr Marsha Scott, chief executive of Scottish Women's Aid, at the time welcomed efforts to 'give women more information, more tools, more control, as domestic abuse takes all of those away' but has called for a review to assess the scheme's effectiveness.
There are concerns it can give a false sense of security to those told their partners have no past convictions as many domestic violence cases go unreported.
Dr Scott said: ' Disclosure alone doesn't keep women safe – only a justice system that listens, understands and acts on the risk can do that. We look forward to an evaluation of the scheme to understand whether survivors feel safer after disclosure.'
Five women were killed by violent partners in 'domestic homicides' last year. Data shows 39,323 domestic abuse crimes were recorded in 2024-25 – 3963 more than the 35,360 the previous year.
Police Scotland recorded 64,993 incidents – 3424 more than the previous year's 61,509 reports, an increase of 5.6 per cent.
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