Survivors urge more awareness of Claire's Law
Domestic abuse survivors say too few people know about Claire's Law, the scheme that lets people check a partner's violent history, 12 years after it was introduced.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Domestic abuse survivors are calling for greater awareness of Claire's Law, the scheme that allows people to ask police about a partner's history of violence, more than a decade after it was introduced.
The law, brought in in 2014 following the murder of Claire Wood by her ex-boyfriend, gives people the right to ask police, anonymously, whether a current or former partner has a record of abusive or violent behaviour. In the West of England, more than 22,000 applications have been made to police forces since the scheme began.
Avon and Somerset Police have received over 7,000 requests, Wiltshire has had 6,600, and Gloucestershire just over 6,000. All forces reported a significant rise in applications in recent years, with Avon and Somerset seeing an increase of nearly 500%.
Survivors who spoke to the BBC said the information provided under Claire's Law was life-changing. One woman, referred to as Eleanor, said she was given details of her former partner's long history of violence, which she had known nothing about. "It was like removing the rose-tinted glasses," she said. "I truly believe I would be dead by now if I were still with him."
Another survivor, Juliet from Bristol, used Claire's Law during a police investigation after she was assaulted. She suffered a broken scapula, a cut to her head that required stitches, and concussion that lasted for weeks. The CPS decided not to prosecute, but the scheme confirmed her ex-partner's history of domestic violence. "I went into shock," she said. "I could not believe that I let that person near me." She said that if she had known about Claire's Law earlier, the relationship would have ended immediately.
Those who work with victims of domestic abuse say more needs to be done to make the public aware of how the scheme works. Phoebe, a domestic violence survivor who has produced a documentary now used by Avon and Somerset Police to train officers, said she was shocked that so few people knew about it. "None of my friends had heard about it, none of my family had heard about it," she said. "That was shocking to me considering how much this can save lives."
Claire's Law plays an important part in preventing domestic abuse, and the survivors who spoke to the BBC say greater awareness could help people recognise danger before it is too late.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC One |
|---|---|
| Avon and Somerset Police have received over 7,000 requests under Claire's Law. | |
| Avon and Somerset Police saw requests under Claire's Law rise by nearly 500%. | |
| Claire's Law was introduced in 2014 following the murder of Claire Wood. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The report focuses on the local impact of Claire's Law across the West of England, using personal survivor stories and regional police statistics to highlight the need for more awareness. It gives a detailed account of how the scheme works and includes a call to action from those affected.
- “It was like removing the rose-tinted glasses.”
- “I truly believe I would be dead by now if I were still with him.”
- “None of my friends had heard about it, none of my family had heard about it, and that was shocking to me considering how much this can save lives.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.