NEARLY 20,000 people have been warned of their partner’s abusive past under a Police Scotland scheme set up 10 years ago today.

The force said that 55 per cent of the 35,847 applications to the Disclosure Scheme for Domestic Abuse Scotland (DSDAS) had resulted in an alert that confirmed a person’s history of domestic abuse.

Social workers or medical staff can also apply for a disclosure to be made where they have reason to believe that a person could be at risk of domestic abuse.

Detective Superintendent Adam Brown said: “DSDAS is an important preventative tool in tackling domestic abuse.

“Before the DSDAS scheme, there was no formal way of an individual finding out if their partner had a previous history of abusive behaviour.

“And, similarly, there was no mechanism for police to proactively tell individuals if their partner posed a risk to them.

“Since its introduction, we have seen demand to use the scheme steadily grow, with around 600 applications currently being submitted every month and that figure is growing.”

Edinburgh Women’s Aid chief executive officer Linda Rodgers added: “We know that receiving a disclosure can be a shock to some.

“However, when those receiving a disclosure realise that the concerning behaviour has been done previously to others, it can be the catalyst for them to seek support to leave as they realise it’s not their fault.

“We have seen an increase in the numbers of women using our services since the scheme began.”

Ms Rodgers encouraged people with concerns about their partner or the partner of someone they know to use the scheme, saying that Women’s Aid can offer support with the process.