UK Police Reprimanded After Abuse Victim's Home Address Shared With Their Abuser

The UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has issued a reprimand to Staffordshire Police over a serious breach of data protection law. In March 2024, the force served a Domestic Violence Protection Notice on an abuser, referred to as "P", when they were released from prison. The notice was meant to protect the victim, but it mistakenly included the victim's home address, which P did not previously know.

The ICO noted allegations that P had physically and emotionally abused the victim over several years, forcing the victim to move home numerous times. It said the current address was highly sensitive and should have been handled that way. The regulator found the force had not put appropriate measures in place to prevent the disclosure, including poor completion rates for mandatory training in data protection and in issuing these notices.

The ICO chose not to fine the force, pointing to improvements made since the incident. These include higher training completion rates, new leadership roles for domestic abuse cases, new internal procedures and new technology to improve services for victims. ICO head of investigations Sally-Anne Poole said the case is a reminder of the importance of getting the basics right, and urged organisations to train staff and put suitable systems in place, especially where there is a known risk to someone's safety.