'Clare's Law' to check if internet date is a brute - The Sun

WOMEN could get the right to force police to tell them if men they meet on the internet have a violent history.

The plans - dubbed Clare's Law - are being considered by Home Secretary Theresa May amid fears women are being put at risk by the growing popularity of online dating sites.

The proposals got their name from the murder of 36-year-old Clare Wood by a man she met on Facebook.

George Appleton, 40, killed himself after strangling mum Clare and setting her on fire in Salford in 2009.

Former Home Office Minister Hazel Blears will launch a campaign to change the law today.

Under the proposals, women would be able to ask police if men they have just met have a history of domestic violence.

Ms Blears said: "Women in Clare's situation often are unaware of their partner's previous relationships.

"This can mean they start a relationship with someone with no idea if they have a violent past.

"Until women get the right to know if their partner has a history of domestic abuse they can't be sure of the risk."

Louise Casey, the Government's victims' tsar, backed the change. She said: "It could put women in a position where they have the power to prevent themselves from becoming a victim. Our priority should not be protecting a perpetrator's privacy at the expense of costing a woman's life."

But some MPs fear the new law could infringe men's civil liberties.

k.schofield@the-sun.co.uk