Sarah's Law and Claire's Law disclosures (FOI)

Request

A

The number of requests for disclosures under the Child Sex Offences Disclosure Scheme, otherwise known as Sarah's Law since it was launched in 2013 to date (year by year).

B

The number of disclosures under the Child Sex Offences Disclosure Scheme, otherwise known as Sarah's Law since it was launched in 2013 to date (year by year).

C

A breakdown of those disclosures made proactively by the police and those made following requests from the public.

D

Examples as to when the police have made a proactive disclosure

E

The number of requests for disclosures under the Domestic Abuse Disclosure Scheme, otherwise known as Claire's Law since it was launched in 2014 to date (year by year).

F

The number of disclosures under the Domestic Abuse Disclosure Scheme, otherwise known as Claire's Law since it was launched in 2014 to date (year by year).

G

A breakdown of those disclosures made proactively by the police and those made following requests from the public.

H

Examples as to when the police have made a proactive disclosure

I

Is there any evidence of the scheme being successful?

J

What is the purpose?

Response

A, C, E and G

This information is not held. Anecdotal evidence suggests that around 90% of disclosures are made proactively by the Police.

B and F 

D and H

The disclosure of specific examples is likely to lead to the identity of individuals and would be a breach of the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018. Article 25 (Personal Information) of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has therefore been applied.

I and J

The purpose of the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (Clare’s Law) is to ensure that partners at risk of violence are fully informed of the potential dangers of developing or maintaining a particular relationship. The ultimate decision rests entirely with the individual.

The purpose of the Child Sex Offenders Disclosure Scheme (Sarah’s Law) is to inform parents or guardians that a particular person with access to their children poses a risk to that child’s safety, so that the individual can take steps to mitigate the risk to the child.

The States of Jersey Police would therefore consider that the intended purposes of each disclosure have been entirely achieved. A lot of time and effort is invested in managing dangerous and violent offenders, and sex offenders, and it is through this work that many new risks are identified and proactive disclosures made. Nevertheless, the States of Jersey Police recognise that they are unlikely to be aware of all potentially dangerous relationships and would wish to take this opportunity to further highlight these available services and to invite individuals who have any concerns to contact ppusupervisors@jersey.pnn.police.uk in the first instance.

Further information is also accessible at the following links:

Clare's Law - Domestic Abuse Disclosure

Child Protection Disclosure Scheme

Article applied

Article 25 Personal information

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018.

(2) Information is absolutely exempt information if –

(a) it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is not the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018; and

(b) its supply to a member of the public would contravene any of the data protection principles, as defined in that Law.

(3) In determining for the purposes of this Article whether the lawfulness principle in Article 8(1)(a) of the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018 would be contravened by the disclosure of information, paragraph 5(1) of Schedule 2 to that Law (legitimate interests) is to be read as if sub-paragraph (b) (which disapplies the provision where the controller is a public authority) were omitted.