Sarah's Law and Clare's Law: Protecting Families Through Information
Sarah's Law transformed how we protect children from sex offenders after 8-year-old Sarah Payne was murdered. Her mum, Sara Payne, fought tirelessly to create a system where parents can ask police if someone around their child has a history of sexual offences. The campaign wasn't without controversy - some worried about vigilante attacks on innocent people who resembled published offenders.
The News of the World newspaper became a crucial ally, running petitions and keeping the story in public view. This media attention proved essential for building the widespread support needed for legal change. Sara Payne's determination paid off when the disclosure scheme became law across England and Wales, and she was awarded an MBE in 2008.
Clare's Law followed a similar pattern but focused on domestic violence disclosure. After Clare Wood was murdered by her ex-boyfriend, her father Michael Brown campaigned for a scheme allowing people to check their partner's history of domestic abuse. Introduced in 2014, this law has already helped over 1,300 women in its first year.
Key Point: Both campaigns succeeded because they combined personal tragedy with media support and clear, practical solutions that politicians could implement.