A member of police staff has been suspended and an urgent review has been launched over a failure to disclose information which could have protected people from domestic violence.

Wiltshire Police made a voluntary referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) earlier this year, which has now decided to launch an independent investigation after the force identified "a number of additional concerns".

It follows concerns raised about disclosures made under the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, known as Clare's Law, by one member of Wiltshire Police staff.

They were served with a notice of investigation by the IOPC and have now been suspended from the force.

Clare's Law was rolled out in 2014 after the murder of Clare Wood by an abusive ex-boyfriend in 2009, and gives people a right to know if their current or ex-partner has any previous history of violence or abuse.

Chief Constable Catherine Roper said: “Having already reviewed a small number of these applications, we know there have been some failures to disclose information which could have protected those most at risk from domestic violence.

“For this, I am truly sorry.

“As we work to fully understand the extent of these failures, fully supporting the independent IOPC investigation, it is vital that we are honest and transparent with our communities and so are reaching out to you to explain the current situation.

“We are now conducting an urgent audit of Clare’s Law applications made to us since April 2015,  which is when the member of staff began working in this department.

“The total number of applications made to us between April 2015 and the end of August 2023 is just over 3,500.

“Of these 3,500 applications, information was disclosed in 1,195 cases under the Right to Ask process (where the individual makes the application regarding a current or ex-partner) or the Right to Know process (where the police or a partner agency comes across information indicating an individual is at risk of domestic abuse).

“We have allocated dedicated resources to review every application made to us since April 2015.

“Where we feel there is any risk to any individual, we will be attempting to contact the applicants.

“Whilst the IOPC conduct their independent investigation based on the referrals we’ve made so far, we will consider making further referrals to them as we work through our review.

“I ask our communities to trust us, accepting that we’ve already identified a failure in our service.

“We have put more scrutiny in place than we’ve ever had in this area of our business. Please continue to talk to us if you have any concerns or information regarding people at risk of domestic abuse.

“I would like to take this opportunity to wholeheartedly apologise on behalf of the organisation to anyone we have let down.”

Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson said: “These failures by Wiltshire Police to carry out its duty – to the fullest - and to protect those at risk of domestic or sexual violence is truly shocking.

“There are no words which can convey how appalled I am.

“While I commend Wiltshire’s Chief Constable for her open and honest approach to informing our communities of this, and her subsequent apology, I am horrified at the prospect there may be more victims of domestic or sexual assault who could have been safeguarded by the Force beforehand.

“My primary concern is for any victims – or potential victims.

“The Chief Constable and I both agree the need to offer immediate advice, support and protection, as necessary, is of utmost importance.

“Anyone who thinks they may be affected should follow the guidelines from Force and contact them immediately, especially if they feel they are in immediate danger. 

“At its very simplest, this is a tragic consequence of an organisation which, for some time before our current Chief Constable, was not performing adequately across many areas.

“This has resulted in its latest PEEL inspection report, and the current Engage process the Force finds itself in.

“While I will not comment on the details of this independent referral by the IOPC, I would like to make it very, very, clear that I expect this investigation to uncover all those responsible for this identified organisational failure – across management and other staff who will have held oversight and supervisory roles during the timeframe – to be held accountable for their actions, or lack of.”