Thousands of people in Scotland have been given disclosures about their partner’s abusive past as part of a scheme to tackle domestic abuse.
Police Scotland launched the Disclosure Scheme for Domestic Abuse Scotland (DSDAS) on October 1, 2015, to enable anyone with concerns about the history of their partner, or the partner of someone they know, to apply for a disclosure.
Since its introduction, 35,847 applications have been submitted to the scheme, and 19,867 disclosures have been given out.
DS Adam Brown said DSDAS is a vital preventative tool to tackle domestic violence, and allows individuals to find out if their partner has a history of abusive behaviour.
‘The introduction of DSDAS has made significant changes and improvements to the violence against women landscape,’ he said.
‘It gives people the right to ask and police the right to tell individuals at risk of domestic abuse about the history of their partner. They can then make an informed decision about their relationship.’
Demand for the scheme has continued to grow, ten years on, with around 600 applications submitted each month.
The scheme operates two pathways: Right to Ask and Power to Tell.
Under the Right to Ask, anyone who has a concern, be it the individual in the relationship, their family, friends, colleagues or neighbours, can submit an application.
Under Power to Tell, professionals, including the police and partner support agencies, such as social workers or medical staff, can apply for a disclosure to be made where they have reason to believe a person could be at risk of domestic abuse.
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After checks are made into the background of an individual, if a disclosure is deemed lawful, proportionate and necessary to keep an individual safe, a disclosure will be made to the person at risk.
Between 2023 and 2024, Police Scotland recorded over 63,500 instances of domestic abuse.
Learn more about domestic abuse in the UK
- One in 4 women will experience domestic abuse at some point in their lives
- ONS research revealed that, in 2023, the police recorded a domestic abuse offence approximately every 40 seconds
- Yet Crime Survey for England & Wales data for the year ending March 2023 found only 18.9% of women who experienced partner abuse in the last 12 months reported the abuse to the police
- According to Refuge, 84% of victims in domestic abuse cases are female, with 93% of defendants being male
- Safe Lives reports that disabled women are twice as likely to experience domestic abuse as non-disabled women, and typically experience domestic abuse for a longer period of time before accessing support
- Refuge has also found that, on average, it takes seven attempts before a woman is able to leave for good.
DS Brown added: ‘Domestic abuse is not just physical, it can include coercive control, psychological, emotional and sexual abuse plus economic abuse. The effects of domestic abuse can be traumatic and long-lasting for victims, and also for children.
‘Receiving a disclosure can help people make a decision about their relationship and help prevent them from enduring many months or years of abuse.’
Linda Rodgers, CEO of Edinburgh Women’s Aid, was present at the launch of the DSDAS scheme in 2015.
Speaking about the scheme ten years on, she said: ‘We know that receiving a disclosure can be a shock to some.
‘However, when those receiving a disclosure realise that the concerning behaviour has been done previously to others, it can be the catalyst for them to seek support to leave, as they realise it’s not their fault. We have seen an increase in the number of women using our services since the scheme began.’
Anyone with concerns about their partner, or the partner of someone they know, can submit a DSDAS application via the Police Scotland website, by calling 101 or visiting a police station.
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