Michael Brown, who successfully campaigned for a change in the law after his daughter Clare Wood was murdered by her ex-boyfriend George Appleton, has died aged 76 after a short illness.
Following the killing in her Salford home in 2009, Mr Brown fought for a person to have a right to know about a partner’s violence past. Appleton had a history of violence against women.
Mr Brown’s efforts culminated in the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS) taking effect in England and Wales in March 2014. It is known as Clare’s Law in his daughter’s memory.
The legislation was introduced in Scotland in 2016, Northern Ireland in 2018, is being trialled in Australia and Canada, and a Chinese city has introduced a version.
“He didn’t want anyone else to suffer the same fate [Clare] did and always said if he could save just one person from a life of domestic abuse, then his campaigning had been worth it,” said his sister Carol Whicher.
Originally from Aberdeen, Scotland, Mr Brown worked as a prison officer and settled in West Yorkshire. He received a British Citizen Award in January and was also patron of Endeavour, a domestic violence charity in Bolton.
