International Prevention Models (UK Model)

Clare's Law and the Disclosure Scheme

The "Clare's Law" (Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme), implemented in the United Kingdom and an international reference, arose after the murder of Clare Wood by an ex-boyfriend with a violent history of which she was unaware.

This legal scheme establishes two fundamental rights for prevention: the "Right to Ask", which allows any citizen to request information from the police about whether their partner has a history of domestic violence if they suspect risk; and the "Right to Know", which empowers the police to proactively inform a potential victim if her new partner has a history of abuse, even if she has not asked.

This model changes the safety paradigm: it does not wait for a new crime to occur before acting, but instead empowers the potential victim with truthful and official information.

This allows her to make informed decisions about her relationship and safety before the traumatic bond or economic dependency is cemented, preventing entry into the cycle of violence.

Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARAC)

The MARAC (Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference) model represents the gold standard for managing high-risk homicide or serious injury cases.

It consists of regular, structured meetings where representatives from the police, health services, child protection, housing services, probation, and domestic violence NGOs sit at the same table.

Rather than working in isolated silos where information is lost, these agencies share confidential data on specific high-risk victims to create a coordinated, comprehensive safety plan.

For example, if the police know the perpetrator has been released from prison and the health system knows the victim is pregnant (a time of extreme vulnerability), joint action is immediate to shield the victim.

This holistic approach saves lives by closing the cracks in the system through which the most vulnerable victims often fall, ensuring that protection does not depend on a single institution.

Summa