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Original poster

Clare's law response from the police

50 replies

namechangefailure · 31/05/2022 18:54

I used the police live chat earlier to ask how I would go about making a disclosure as I have found out that a partner that I had recently broken up with had served a prison sentence for stalking and harassing an ex girlfriend. I think there response was poor. The conversation went like this, hello could you please tell me how I can request a disclosure under Clare's law? They then asked me if I live with this person and if I am in immediate danger, I said no and no, they then asked me if I have any children, I said no, they then asked why I want a check doing on this person and I informed them that somebody had disclosed to me that an ex partner had served a prison sentence for stalking and harassing an ex girlfriend and they responded by saying 'ok we wouldn't be able to disclose that information to you as as you do not have any contact with him. Wtf? They never even gave me chance to explain that i have been receiving messages and last night I had 13 missed calls and he was outside my house. Is there any wonder women do not report stuff, I am honestly shocked by this experience, i thought things like this were supposed to be taken seriously now?

OP posts:
Greensleeves · 31/05/2022 18:57

I would tweet them outlining exactly how your enquiry was handled and asking them to resolve it.

Taffydog · 31/05/2022 19:00

I think in this case you should be reporting him for harassment/stalking and phone back to say that. They are right that they won’t be able to make a disclosure under Claire’s law as you are no longer in a relationship with him. That process takes ages in any case even if you do meet the criteria for disclosure. This is an urgent situation as he is actively engaged in worrying behaviour against you. They should take it very seriously that he is harassing you and if he’s got history for similar which they’ll will know if he has - they will definitely get involved.

CornishPorsche · 31/05/2022 19:00

I don't understand why you didn't just say it though?

Quitelikeit · 31/05/2022 19:02

I agree that they were following due process. Imagine having lots of requests from ex’s what would be the point?

what I can’t understand is why you didn’t call the job emergency police and explain your predicament?!

Original poster
namechangefailure · 31/05/2022 19:02

They didn't give me a chance and after they had told me they wouldn't disclose anything I thought what's the point in trying to explain myself, it took me a lot of courage to even talk to them in the first place.

OP posts:
Original poster
namechangefailure · 31/05/2022 19:03

I don't feel like it's an emergency but I would like to know exactly what I am dealing with.

OP posts:
Ellswells3 · 31/05/2022 19:09

I don’t feel like a Claire’s law application would tell you an awful lot more than you already know and given he has already started to harass you, you should definitely report to police. Even if you do via 101 if you don’t think it is an emergency. Claire’s Law wouldn’t change any of the actions / outcomes necessarily as you have already ended the relationship.

ScrumptiusBears · 31/05/2022 19:09

You went about it the wrong way. You need to be reporting him for what he's doing to you now. It's for them to connected the pieces behind the scenes regarding his history.

Longdistance · 31/05/2022 19:10

When they answered no and no you should have added about the harassment as to them as far as they know, you’re not together and that’s the end of that.
Get back to them to add about the harassment asap. Even reading your op it’s only mentioned at the end. If he turns up 101, if he’s threatening you 999.

Sweetmotherofallthatisholyabov · 31/05/2022 19:12

I think when they said why do you want the info was the time to say because he's harassing me.

CherryOh · 31/05/2022 19:13

You already know that he has previous history and he is currently harassing you. Why do you need to wait for more information? Please contact police again. They can advise re next steps and will take this seriously.

HairyBum · 31/05/2022 19:13

Just report him first and add that you have heard he was in prison for harassment and stalking ex. They need the full information

cornflakedreams · 31/05/2022 19:14

Just report what's happening. This isn't a Clare's Law situation, so what they told you was correct. You can't expect them to guess that you're contacting them for a different reason to the one you've told them.

I have no problem criticising the police when they deserve it, but I think your approach was the problem not their response.

National Stalking Helpline is good if you want advice on how to report this.

EgonSpengler2020 · 31/05/2022 19:14

They asked you if you were in immediate danger. Surely that would be the point where you should have explained that he is actively stalking you including sitting outside your house.

The police are not minds readers and they are also restricted by the law, in the case of a Claire's law disclosure.

Flippanty · 31/05/2022 19:15

I understand it’s horrible to feel like you’re just dismissed like that OP! But tbh it doesn’t really sound like you need Claire’s law as that is more for when there have been red flags or the beginnings of abusive behaviour and you or a loved one would like to see if it’s a pattern and you need to end things before they escalate. It sounds like you already know your ex has criminal history and he is now displaying the exact same behaviour with you. What you need to do in this case is immediately report him to the police.

HairyMclaryz · 31/05/2022 19:16

I have previously used this for someone I had very recently broken up with - as he seemed to have a lot of trouble letting go and I was concerned. I think that was appropriate and the police were helpful.

Overthewine · 31/05/2022 19:23

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

Original poster
namechangefailure · 31/05/2022 19:23

He lives very close by which is why I wanted to make sure that I had got my information correct and it was true and understand the nature of what I was dealing with before I started reporting him to the police and potentially making the situation even worse.

OP posts:
CherryOh · 31/05/2022 19:27

You could try Googling on your local newspaper website to see if his name comes up if you really feel you need to know more. But honestly OP, just report it. Please.

Reallyreallyborednow · 31/05/2022 19:31

You went about it the wrong way. You need to be reporting him for what he's doing to you now

this.

a claire’s law disclosure is designed to help you safeguard yourself from someone who may be a risk to you.

you said yourself you are no longer seeing him, have no contact and have no desire to be in contact with him. Therefore you are safeguarding yourself, so a Claire’s law disclosure won’t help you.

phone back and report the harrassment.

Lovemusic33 · 31/05/2022 19:32

It’s a ex, I don’t understand why you need to call them unless he is harassing you? You already know he has a conviction, there’s not really anything different they can tell you?

Littlepaws18 · 31/05/2022 20:02

I had a terrible experience with Claire's law too. My ex was harassing me, taking me to court over access to our child. But because he was an ex and I didn't live with him I wasn't allowed to know his past crimes. I then replied so I'm meant to just give my child to him knowing that he has a violent past but not knowing any specifics. She basically said yes. First day of court I got his record, it involved drugs, assault, stalking exes, battery to name a few things. For me Claire's law was utterly useless.

mumda · 31/05/2022 20:23

Report the stalking. Now.

Ohsugarhoneyicetea · 31/05/2022 20:53

You can fill out the online form (there is one for each county) google clares law online application form and all the links come up. But tbh you should be reporting the stalking right now, they will do all the background checks once you have reported it.

Vsirbdo · 31/05/2022 20:59

In the nicest possible way they did give you a chance to explain why you wanted it and you didn’t say it was because he was contacting you and the reason on you gave wouldnt meet their guidelines. Go back to them and explain it again in full.
I suspect though that even with your reason it doesn’t meet their guidelines as they don’t want you to be the judge or whether you want to report harassment, they would just want you to report it