Government's Domestic Abuse Pilots 'A Waste of Time and Money'

Women will have the right to ask police about a partner's domestic violence history as part of a new scheme to be trialled in parts of England and Wales. The pilot scheme, also known as 'Clare's Law', will run from summer 2012, and will help victims or potential victims of domestic violence by disclosing information about previous violent offending by their partner. A domestic violence charity, however, denounced the scheme as "a waste of time and money". Refuge said the cost of implementing the 'Clare's Law' pilot schemes would outweigh its benefits. "We are at an absolute loss as to why the government is introducing the new disclosure scheme," said Sandra Horley, the charity's chief executive. "It seems to have ignored the concerns of the leading domestic violence organisations and those of Liberty. The new disclosure scheme simply isn't supported by any of us with the expertise to judge its chances of success." Read more on 24dash.