74-Breaking the Silence: Clare's Law and Terri's Fight: Angela Smith; Part 2

1 in 3

When tragedy strikes, some people find themselves transformed into reluctant warriors. After losing her daughter Terri and grandchildren to domestic violence, Angie Smith became exactly that—channeling unimaginable grief into life-saving advocacy work that's reshaping how we protect vulnerable people.
The heart of this powerful conversation explores Clare's Law, a domestic violence disclosure scheme that allows individuals to check if their partner has a history of abuse. But as Angie discovered through personal experience, the original law had a critical flaw. When someone is already trapped in an abusive relationship, they're unlikely to seek this information themselves, and even if they do, they might not believe it or might have the information intercepted by their abuser. This realization sparked Angie's mission to create "Terri's Law"—an amendment allowing concerned family members to request disclosure about a relative's partner.
Despite resistance from officials who insisted the existing system worked fine, Angie persisted. She gathered evidence, built coalitions, and eventually secured the amendment's passage in 2023. Now she regularly hears from people who have successfully used Terri's Law to protect loved ones from potential harm. Beyond legislative change, Angie runs Terri's Fight, sending essential care bags to women who've fled abusive situations with nothing but the clothes on their backs. She personally operates a helpline, connecting survivors with life-saving resources.
The statistics remain staggering—three women die weekly from domestic violence in the UK alone. Most never receive media attention. Through her grief, Angie reminds us that these aren't just statistics but real families like hers, and that early intervention can prevent devastation. If you're concerned about someone's relationship or experiencing abuse yourself, reach out for help. The resources Angie fought to strengthen could save your life or the life of someone you love.

View Angie's 1in3 profile here: https://www.1in3podcast.com/guests/angela-smith/

1 in 3 is intended for mature audiences. Episodes contain explicit content and may be triggering to some.

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If you are in the United States and need help right now, call the national domestic violence hotline at 800-799-7233 or text the word “start” to 88788.
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Cover art by Laura Swift Dahlke
Music by Tim Crowe

Chapters

1. Welcome and introduction to Angie's story (00:00:00)

2. Understanding Claire's Law and its limitations (00:01:42)

3. Signs of abuse and isolation tactics (00:04:23)

4. Fighting for Terry's Law amendment (00:07:39)

5. The tragedy of system failures (00:11:02)

6. Terry's Fight: Supporting domestic violence survivors (00:14:04)

7. Closing words and resources for help (00:20:13)