The Aberdeen father of a young woman murdered by her abusive boyfriend has welcomed a law change that will allow people to check on the violent pasts of their partners.
“Clare’s Law” is to be rolled out across Scotland after a successful pilot in Aberdeen.
Police said 30 people had requested information from officers about those they were in a relationship with and that eight requests had been honoured.
Clare’s Law was piloted following the murder of Clare Wood in 2009 by her boyfriend George Appleton.
The pair met on Facebook with Ms Wood unaware of his history of violence against women.
Her father, Michael Brown, who is originally from Ferryhill, Aberdeen, has since campaigned for better protection, support and information for those in abusive relationships.
Last night he said he was “quietly delighted” that his native Scotland had chosen to back Clare’s Law.
He met First Minister Nicola Sturgeon yesterday to officially announce the news.
Mr Brown, who now lives in the Manchester area, said: “I am quietly delighted that it turned out well in my own country.
“I had to lose my daughter to get to this stage but we might just manage to save the life of another person.”
Mr Brown still has strong ties to the north east, with a sister in Insch and two daughters – one in Aberdeen and another in Kintore.
The aim of Clare’s Law is to allow men and women to make decisions about their partners if they learn information surrounding their past.
Yesterday, Ms Sturgon praised Mr Brown’s “tireless work” in trying to protect others following the death of his daughter.
She added: “I hope he is proud to know that he is making a difference.
“The loss of a son or daughter to violence is incomprehensible and Michael Brown has shown enormous strength and courage to use his daughter’s death as a way to change the system.”
A second pilot scheme also ran in Ayrshire, where 59 applications for information were received, with 22 disclosures made.
Detective Inspector Graham Smith, of the domestic abuse investigation unit in Aberdeen, said: “Our message to those who carry out domestic abuse is quite clear – stop, think and think again of the effect on your family and your children.
“We are delighted that the scheme will be rolled out nationally. It will help enable police and partners to provide extra support and protection to those who are most at risk of domestic abuse.”