Wife beaters' register: Women have the right to know about violent past of their lover, say police

Controversial: Under the plan, police would warn a woman if their partner had a history of domestic violence

Men with a history of domestic violence could be put on a register so that any future partners can be warned about them.

The controversial plan, which is being drawn up by the Association of Chief Police Officers, would list around 25,000 suspected and convicted serial wife beaters.

Police would approach women with the information if they are notified that a man on the register has moved home.

Alternatively, women could be given the right to ask about the past of a man they are with.



A small number of pilot areas are already trying out a similar system in relation to sex offenders.

That policy has been named 'Sarah's Law' because it was set up in response to a campaign by the mother of Sarah Payne, the girl murdered by known paedophile Roy Whiting.

Police chiefs admit the abuse register plan is controversial. Men might be put on the list - and be forced to tell police when they move house - simply for facing accusations from two women.



No court convictions would be required. The plan might lead to a man being dogged for decades by old convictions. Also, the policy could be extended to cover all types of violence, not just domestic abuse.

Officers, who produced the plan on the orders of former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, insist more needs to be done to protect women from violence.



Britain has some 25,321 serial domestic abusers, according to Wiltshire Chief Constable Brian Moore, who led the review.



He said: 'If these serial perpetrators exist in the way our research suggests they do, then is it reasonable that the next potential victim has the right to know about the serial perpetrator coming into their household?'

The register has echoes of the sex offenders' register. But Mr Moore said inclusion would not be automatic following a domestic abuse allegation, as is the case with a sex offence.

He said he wanted to balance civil liberties with the need to protect vulnerable women.

In a 100-page report, the police association also suggested that violent men who drive their wives to suicide could be charged with killing them.

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The new offence of 'liability for suicide' would be used where women have taken their own lives after a prolonged campaign of domestic abuse.

They say it would help to tackle socalled 'honour violence' against women trapped in forced marriages.



Evidence suggests south Asian women under 30 living in the UK are two-and-a-half times more likely to kill themselves than white women.

It is estimated that a third of women who commit suicide are victims of domestic violence.

In other proposals, new 'go-orders' would allow courts to ban men from their homes for up to two weeks even if they are cleared of offending.

In considering a right to know policy, the report said police chiefs were keenly aware of worries about the state holding personal data.

It added: 'Nevertheless, we consider it important for the safety and wellbeing of individual members of the public who are in a relationship with a dangerous person that the potential victim has the right to know about relevant information so that informed choices about personal safety can be made.'

Women's groups said police would be better served prosecuting violent men for their first offence than coming up with legislative ideas.

Home Secretary Alan Johnson said: 'These proposals will stimulate important debate about how we can reach our future goal of preventing these cowardly crimes but also how to protect victims of domestic violence and tackle the abusers in the shorter term.'

Theresa May, Tory spokesman on women, said: 'No woman should live in fear of violence. What is needed is a coordinated and comprehensive strategy with prevention as the key priority.'