POLICE have officially unveiled a county-wide disclosure scheme which gives everyone in the Wee County the right to ask whether their partners have convictions for domestic abuse.

The initiative, commonly known as Clare’s Law, was rolled out across Scotland following successful pilots in Aberdeen and Ayrshire.

As of October 1, anyone can make a submission to Police Scotland about an individual if they have reason to suspect they may have violent backgrounds.

If police checks show the person has a record of such behaviour, or there is other information to indicate that someone may be at risk, the police will “consider sharing this information” with those who ask.

Anyone can make a submission on behalf of anyone they have concerns for.

The policy is not without its criticisms, as some disclosures could undermine the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act which focuses on helping people move on from their offending past.

However, others argue that informing men and women about a partner’s violent past could reduce the prevalence of domestic abuse and forms a key part of ongoing murder prevention.

Anne Pinkman, chief officer with the Fife and Forth Valley Community Justice Authority, said: “We very much welcome the introduction of Clare’s Law in Clackmannanshire as it is important to ensure members of the community are aware of the existence of this law and who to contact if they have concerns.

“We also can’t forget that most murders are of a domestic nature.” She added: “Some domestic offenders can go from partner to partner without being challenged or caught and these are the people responsible for some of the worst domestic abuse incidents.

“These are the people this scheme is designed to expose and prevent further abuse.”

Sharon Johnstone, of Clackmannanshire Women’s Aid, told the Advertiser: “We are committed to partnership working, and are in support of any initiative which raises awareness of domestic abuse and can help women and their families keep themselves and their children safe.

“Clackmannanshire Women’s Aid has received calls from people with concerns for friends or family members looking for information on how best to support them.

“This scheme gives members of the public a formal mechanism for making inquiries regarding an individual they have concerns about.”

The initiative is named after Clare Wood, who was murdered by her violent ex-boyfriend in Manchester in 2009.

The 36-year-old suffered a brutal ordeal at the hands of George Appleton, shortly after the pair met online.

Ms Wood was unaware of his history of violence against women, prompting a campaign from her father Michael Brown to allow people the right to ask for information on their partners’ backgrounds.

If you would like to make a submission to the disclosure scheme, please click here.