MOST victims of domestic abuse will tell you that their now ex-partner was all charm and adoration at first but, fairly quickly, they started to suspect that something was not quite right about him or her – a bit too suffocating in their affections, a touch possessive perhaps, but nothing overtly worrying until it was too late.

Sometimes you just get a sense that someone is putting on an act. Instinct tells you to be wary. And that is when ‘Clare’s Law’ can be vital – the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme can prevent months or years of agony.

Introduced in 2014, the initiative is named after 36-year-old Clare Wood who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in 2009, and allows police forces to disclose details of someone’s history of violence or abuse, to allow their current or potential partner to then make an informed decision on whether to continue a relationship with them.

Decades of evidence shows that people who commit domestic abuse tend to do so again and again with new victims. Clare’s Law can help people avoid becoming the next victim.

READ MORE: Domestic abuse victim urges people to use Clare's Law