When Someone Has a History of Violence: Disclosure, Accountability and Safety
Country Disclosure Scheme Public Statistics Available England & Wales ✅ Clare’s Law (2014) Yes – annual national statistics published. Scotland ✅ Disclosure Scheme for Domestic Abuse Scotland (2015) Yes – Police Scotland publishes application and disclosure figures. Northern Ireland ✅ Domestic Violence and Abuse Disclosure Scheme (2018) Limited public statistics. Republic of Ireland ❌ No… Read More Within Europe, the position is:
Here’s a comparison of the main domestic violence disclosure schemes currently operating internationally. Because each country records data differently, direct comparisons should be interpreted with caution. Country Scheme Latest Available Statistics England & Wales Clare’s Law (Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme) 2023–24: 19,934 Right to Know applications (9,057 disclosures – 45%); 38,678 Right to Ask applications (15,448 disclosures… Read More Understanding Domestic Violence Disclosure Statistics by Country
There are no global figures for Clare’s Law (the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme), because it is not an international programme. The scheme originated in England and Wales and has since been adopted in different forms in Scotland, Northern Ireland, parts of Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, but there is no worldwide databasecollecting comparable statistics. Each jurisdiction publishes data independently, if… Read More The Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme)
The police already maintain a number of databases which will hold details of domestic abuse perpetrators, for example the Police National Computer, Police National Database and the ViSOR Dangerous Persons Database. The Home Office and the Ministry of Justice have jointly funded a project to create the new Multi-Agency Public Protection System (MAPPS) which will… Read More National “register” of domestic abuse perpetrators
One of the greatest fears many survivors have is what happens when a restraining order expires. Does the protection end? The answer is not necessarily. In Spain, the expiry of a restraining order does not automatically mean that all protection comes to an end. Where the authorities assess that a victim remains at risk, protective measures… Read More When a Restraining Order Ends: Protection Can Continue
For many survivors of domestic abuse, one question can be deeply unsettling: “What happens when my restraining order ends?” Many fear that the end of a court order means the end of their protection. Fortunately, that is not always the case. Protection Does Not Automatically End In Spain, the expiry of a restraining order does not… Read More What Happens After a Restraining Order Ends in Spain?
For many survivors of domestic abuse, receiving a protection order is not the end of the journey—it is the beginning of living safely again. In Spain, protection does not always stop when a restraining order is granted. In many cases, the Guardia Civil or National Police continue to provide ongoing protection through the VioGén (Sistema de Seguimiento Integral en los… Read More When the Court Order Ends, Protection Doesn’t: Understanding Ongoing Police Protection in Spain
One of the most difficult questions survivors ask is: “How could someone enjoy causing another person so much pain?” For those who have never experienced coercive control, emotional abuse, or psychological manipulation, the idea that another human being could derive satisfaction from another person’s suffering seems incomprehensible. Yet psychology and neuroscience provide important insights into… Read More The Neuroscience and Psychology of Sadistic Behaviour: Why Cruelty Can Become Addictive
There is a profound difference between revenge and justice. Revenge is driven by the desire to make someone suffer. Justice is driven by the desire for truth, accountability and protection. For many survivors, speaking out is not about settling old scores. It is about ensuring that what happened is acknowledged, that the harm is recognised… Read More This Is Not Revenge. This Is Justice.
For years, many survivors are told they have no proof. So they quietly keep everything. Every phone recording. Every photograph. Every letter. Every email. Every text message. Every WhatsApp conversation—including messages from family members that reveal the manipulation, intimidation or enabling of the abuse. Every medical report. Every psychologist’s assessment. Every hospital record. Every prescription… Read More When the Evidence Speaks
