Tackling domestic violence
Deborah McIlveen of the Women’s Aid Federation of England, writing on the Guardian’s Comment is Free web site, has reservations about the data sharing proposed by the Association of Chief Police Officers as a way of addressing the problems of serial domestic violence:
We are less confident about the wisdom of introducing multi-agency risk assessment conferences (Maracs) on a statutory basis. While proper information sharing is required to protect victims, this should only be done on a need-to-know basis, or else could be dangerous. If victims know that their information could be given to the police, this may well prevent disclosure to services such as health, and victims need to be able to talk confidentially to their doctor or health visitor.
