A woman, who shall be named Kate for the purposes of this blog and to protect her identity, fled to escape her abusive husband after enduring years of emotional and physical abuse.

Despite obtaining a restraining order, moving far away, changing jobs and beginning a new life, Kate now lives in fear as a court has sent her new address to her estranged husband ‘by mistake.’

Kate disclosed that she had taken out a restraining order after receiving sinister death threats in addition to the years of abuse that she experienced.

She had suffered so badly at the hands of her abuser that at times she thought that he was going to kill her.

Although she had eventually escaped the situation and had moved to stay with her friend, the information regarding her whereabouts was disclosed to her husband in error.

Kate has been forced to move again from this address and continues to live in fear.

Valerie Wise, national domestic abuse lead for charity Victim Support cautioned that it is imperative that courts do not give out this type of personal information, as it serves to destroy the purpose of a restraining order.

The Ministry of Justice has now launched an investigation and has apologised, assuring that extra checks are being put in place for the handling of confidential information.

Incidents of accidental disclosure of private and confidential information are significantly on the rise especially in a technological world where information can be disclosed at the press of a button.

Here at Farleys Solicitors we have an experienced team to deal with breach of confidentiality claims and we are on hand to advise you as to the merits of any potential claim. We recognise the impact that these cases can have upon individuals and their families, whereby they feel violated, exposed, fearful and very upset as to the disclosure which can often lead to rehousing, added home security and private counselling.

Our highly accredited team have an impressive record of recovering thousands of pounds in compensation for individuals in data breach claims.

If you or someone you know has been subjected to the disclosure of private and confidential information, we would be happy to discuss and advise you on any potential claims against individuals or organisations. You can contact Farleys Solicitors by phone on 0330 134 6430, by email at paul.corrigan@farleys.com, or via the online chat below.