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Essex Police Under Scrutiny for Domestic Abuse Failures Amid Investigation of Allison Pears


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Essex Police, the force currently investigating Telegraph columnist Allison Pearson, has faced significant criticism for its track record on protecting women. Recent figures reveal that the force has had the lowest rate of warnings about potentially abusive partners under Clare’s Law, a measure designed to protect individuals from domestic violence.  

 

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Clare’s Law, named after Clare Wood, who was killed by her ex-boyfriend in 2009, enables individuals to request information about a partner’s history of abusive behavior. The law operates through two mechanisms: the Right to Ask and the Right to Know. The Right to Ask allows individuals to inquire about their own partner or someone close to them, while the Right to Know requires police to assess domestic abuse intelligence and determine whether potential victims should be informed.  

 

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In Essex, the Right to Know is applied in every reported domestic abuse incident, with police evaluating whether an internal application for disclosure should be made. If approved, this process enables the proactive release of information to protect a potential victim. However, statistics from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for the year ending March 2023 show that Essex Police had the lowest Right to Know disclosure rate in England and Wales, acting on just 6.84 percent of cases.  

 

This figure stands in stark contrast to the national average. Across England and Wales, the rate of Right to Know disclosures has dropped significantly in recent years, from 55.3 percent in 2019 to 42.5 percent in 2023. Despite the decline, the number of internal applications for disclosure under this scheme has risen sharply, increasing by 147 percent from 7,252 in 2019 to 17,925 in 2023.  

 

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The Right to Ask mechanism has experienced similar trends. The rate of disclosures under this route fell from 40 percent in 2019 to 35.8 percent in 2023, even as applications quadrupled from 6,496 to 27,419 in the same period.  

 

Det Supt Matt Cornish, Essex Police’s lead on domestic abuse, acknowledged the need for improvement. “We recognize that we need to do more to support victims,” he said. He outlined the rigorous considerations involved in disclosure decisions, including whether the information is necessary to protect the person, whether there is an urgent need for the disclosure, and whether it is proportionate to prevent further crime. Legal advice is sought in complex cases to ensure decisions are made appropriately.  

 

The scrutiny of Essex Police's handling of domestic abuse cases comes amid broader criticism of the force. In July, a Channel 4 Dispatches investigation revealed that in Thurrock, Essex, 93 percent of car-related crimes resulted in no suspect being identified. This adds to the growing concerns about the force’s overall effectiveness and prioritization of resources.  

 

As Essex Police works to address these issues, the statistics highlight the challenges it faces in balancing procedural rigor with the urgent need to protect victims of domestic abuse.

 

Based on a report by Daily Telegraph 2024-11-16

 

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