Clare's Law service failure 'may have contributed' to another person harmed
Wiltshire Police's Chief Constable has issued another update - after the force revealed all 3,582 applications have been reviewed
Last updated 21st Jul 2024
A third person has come to harm following failures by Wiltshire Police into their handling of domestic violence risk disclosures.
The force has been reviewing more than 3,500 Clare's Law requests for information on a partner's potential abusive past.
They've now confirmed a further failing that came at the end of 2023, after the review period, which led to an incident of common assault against an adult female.
In a statement, Statement from Chief Constable Catherine Roper said: “Yesterday, I updated our communities on the progress of our urgent review of 3,582 Clare’s Law applications.
“After this announcement was made, I was informed of an additional incident where a potential failure in our service towards the end of 2023 may have contributed to another person being harmed.
“This service failure relates to a Clare’s Law application made after the timeframe of the review (April 2015-August 2023).
“However, I can confirm that we have made an immediate referral into our Professional Standards Department, as per our policy, and we have also referred this matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
“Whilst it is crucial that we prioritise the support to the victim and preserve the integrity of both the ongoing criminal investigation and the conduct referrals we have now made, I can confirm that this was an incident of common assault against an adult female.
“From the moment our failures within the Clare’s Law scheme came to light, I vowed I would be wholly transparent and honest with our communities. That is why I wanted to update you on this latest failure as soon as I could.
“As ever, I will keep you fully informed of any additional issues connected to this matter.”
Read more: Wiltshire Police complete urgent review of all Clare's Law applications