West Yorkshire Police hand forensic sprays to domestic abuse victims to help secure convictions

Dozens of domestic abuse victims have said they feel safer after being given a forensic spray to use against their attackers, police have said.
By Rebecca Marano
Published 20th Feb 2022, 04:45 BST
Officers have begun distributing SmartWater, a coded liquid which is invisible to the naked eye but which glows under ultraviolet light, to women in Yorkshire and Staffordshire.Officers have begun distributing SmartWater, a coded liquid which is invisible to the naked eye but which glows under ultraviolet light, to women in Yorkshire and Staffordshire.
Officers have begun distributing SmartWater, a coded liquid which is invisible to the naked eye but which glows under ultraviolet light, to women in Yorkshire and Staffordshire.

Officers have begun distributing SmartWater, a coded liquid which is invisible to the naked eye but which glows under ultraviolet light, to women in Yorkshire and Staffordshire.

Responding to a police survey, 76% of women who have been given a canister said they felt safer, and 62% said they saw a reduction in incidents such as their attacker breaching a restraining order.

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Some 93% of the 55 respondents also said they would recommend the spray to others.

West Yorkshire Police began rolling the substance out to domestic abuse victims in August 2021.

The force secured the first conviction using it on January 17 this year after a perpetrator turned up at a victim’s address in Wakefield.

Following his arrest, SmartWater was detected on his clothes and he was jailed for 24 weeks for breach of a non-molestation order and harassment.

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The spray has previously been rolled out to communities for use against burglars, but West Yorkshire Police Detective Superintendent Lee Berry came up with the idea of equipping domestic abuse victims with the canisters too.

Mr Berry said: “Using past experience in forensic marking and engaging with a victim of domestic abuse and other professionals, I shaped this approach to meet the needs of victims and ensure that, if offences couldn’t be deterred, we had the best possible evidence to help bring perpetrators to justice.

“This approach is about prevention, increasing trust, confidence and satisfaction, and maximising opportunities to bring perpetrators to justice if we can’t prevent offences from occurring.”

So far, the force has rolled out SmartWater spray to 54 domestic abuse victims in Wakefield, Kirkless and Leeds, and will be introducing it to women in Calderdale and Bradford in the coming months.

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South Yorkshire Police and Staffordshire Police are also distributing the spray to victims of domestic abuse in their regions.

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