Now, before
you think this is a “holy” type of post, I’d just like to clarify that sanctity
in the title meant “honesty” or “values” in a relationship. I just want to
point out here that the new Clare’s Law, or the Domestic Violence DisclosureScheme, while it protects individuals, it may also breed mistrust.
I am all for
the safety of our women and girls, but researching about the history of your
partner, with his or her own knowledge, is a way of degrading the “honesty” and
“genuine-ness” of relationships. Sure, it could be a romantic and
less-than-practical notion, but why bother partnering up in a relationship if
you could not even trust each other?
Potentially,
the law can save lives, but is this law really necessary? Maybe it is, for
people who look for partners in online dating and matchmaking websites. It will
also be helpful especially in divorce cases, but the previous example is
already an irony.
Definitely,
it will really be nice to know that you have a good premise during divorce
because you know that your partner has a violent history, but do you plan to
get into a relationship just so you could get a divorce?
There is
nothing wrong with Clare’s law, but intimate trust, understanding, patience and
good values will always make a good relationship, not a back-end solution.
There is nothing wrong with the law being passed, but if people use it to
concern themselves of their partners, they were already planning to fail the
relationship.
