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Emergency Numbers: 999 (Dial 55 while on the line if you cannot speak), ESDAS: 01737 771 350
Surrey Police has pledged to take positive action when dealing with domestic abuse incidents and have outlined their four priorities to:
If you call 999, there is a list of things that the Police are expected to do, such as speaking to you in private, checking on the welfare of you and any children at the address and completing a Risk Indicator Questionnaire (DASH – domestic abuse, stalking, harassment and honour based violence).
This a series of questions that an attending officer must complete with you to understand the risks you face within your home or relationship.
The attending officers should also ask for your consent to pass your contact details onto ESDAS (they may refer to us as Outreach). They will ensure that we receive details of the incident, so that we can contact you at a time that is appropriate and safe.
For further information about Surrey Police and their response to Domestic Abuse, please click here.
There are also protective orders that the police may use in order to provide you as a victim of domestic abuse with immediate protection following an incident of domestic violence and to give you breathing space to consider your options.
Further information about these orders can be found here.
Once the Police have completed their initial investigations, they will refer the case to the Crown Prosecution Service for advice on how to proceed. They will then decide on whether a suspect should be charged, and what that charge should be. Click here to find out more about how the CPS handle domestic abuse cases.
If the CPS feels there is sufficient evidence to prosecute, the perpetrator will be charged and given a date to attend the Specialist Domestic Abuse Court (SDAC) which operates on a Thursday at Guildford Magistrates Court.
These courts cluster and fast track domestic abuse cases. All court personnel are trained in domestic abuse and the courts are supported by a qualified Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA), who works out of the local outreach team.
The job of the IDVA is to support you through the criminal justice system by explaining the proceedings and keeping you updated on court decisions at the 1st hearing, subsequent bail and admin hearings, and after the trial at sentencing. The IDVA will contact you before the first hearing to explain what is happening, to discuss the situation and to hear your concerns.
As they attend court, they are able to provide information to the court about your situation if you wish and can deliver court results, information on bail conditions and restraining orders and sentences to you on the day of the court.
What is Clare’s Law?
The Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS), also known as Clare’s Law, was created in 2014 after Clare Wood was killed in 2009 by an ex-partner in Greater Manchester. The aim of Clare’s Law is to give you information regarding your current or ex-partner where there are concerns that this individual may be abusive, controlling and coercive, or violent – this is called a disclosure.
You can request a disclosure for yourself, or if you are concerned about someone else such as a family member, friend, colleague or neighbour if you believe they are at risk from their current or ex-partner.
A disclosure can also be given to safeguard your children, for example if you have concerns about your ex-partner’s new partner.
A disclosure can provide potentially life-saving information to help people to make a more informed decision about whether to continue the relationship they’re in. You have the right to ask if your current or ex-partner has a history of domestic abuse or Violence.
You can make an application regarding a current or ex-partner, or if you have concerns about someone else’s current or ex-partner. The police will carry out checks and will refer any information to a local multi-agency panel for a decision as to whether to make a disclosure.
You can make an application under the scheme in the following ways:
You will initially be asked to provide information about yourself and who you are making the application for. If your application meets the scheme criteria, a face-to-face or online visit will be held with you by an officer where we will ask you further questions.
Any disclosed information must be treated as confidential, and applicants cannot share this information with anyone else.
The charity ‘Rights of Women’ has a wide range of online legal guides and handbooks to help women in England and Wales access justice and safety through the law.
The charity ‘Rights of Women’ has a wide range of online legal guides and handbooks to help women in England and Wales access justice and safety through the law. Their helpline details can be found here.
