Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

SmartWater: The forensic spray helping keep women safe

SmartWater: The forensic spray helping keep women safe

The first person in the UK has been convicted and jailed for domestic abuse after being sprayed with SmartWater - a forensic liquid which shows up under ultraviolet light. The technology is being trialled by police forces in the hope of keeping women safe.

The substance stays on skin for up to six weeks and on clothing for much longer and categorically links the perpetrator to the specific batch of water that was sprayed.

The victim, in West Yorkshire, is one of over 200 women across England who now have the forensic deterrent packages in their homes. The packages include a hand-held canister for spraying, a gel for door handles and gates, and an automatic trap that sprays the liquid if someone approaches the house.


Detective Superintendent of West Yorkshire Police Lee Berry, who came up with the idea, told the BBC: "Domestic abuse is quite often difficult to prosecute and a lot of these crimes occur behind closed doors. It can be one word against another.

"If we forensically mark, then we can track someone back to a location. We'll know who the perpetrator is, and we'll know who the victim is, as well.

"What we're saying to the perpetrator is, if you go back to that address and you breach these conditions, you will be forensically marked."

West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and Staffordshire Police forces are all using the kit, which costs about £150 a month per person, as part of their strategy to fight domestic violence.

On average it costs the police about £640 to respond to a domestic abuse incident, according to the crime survey of England and Wales. DS Berry said the force will save about £500 on each deployment if using the forensic marking as a deterrent.

Domestic abuse affects both men and women.

Most victims using the technology have told the police they feel safer, and 94% who were surveyed across the three forces said they would recommend it to others.

At least 20 of the 43 police forces in England are meeting and sharing what they are doing to tackle domestic abuse as part of the UK's Violence Against Women and Girls strategy. DS Berry is hopeful other forces will decide to implement the tech too.

DS Berry said: "I really hope other police forces see what we're doing here in West Yorkshire. The more victims that we can protect and make feel safe in their own homes, the better. That's the real success success story here."


For years, SmartWater has been used to protect property and deter thieves by being applied to high value items. When dry the liquid is invisible to the naked eye, but it glows fluorescent yellow under ultra violet lamps and torches which are used by police.

If the valuables are then stolen and later recovered, their original owner can be traced after a laboratory testing of a sample.

The technology has already been credited with halving catalytic converter thefts, according to the National Police Chiefs' Council.

But the application of the technology to help tackle domestic violence is new.

The man from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, was harassing his ex-partner and breaching his non-molestation order that stipulated he must leave her alone. When he turned up and tried to get into the house, she sprayed the coded liquid from a canister from the protection of her window.

The SmartWater helped officers to catch the man, as it forensically placed him at the scene of the crime.

He was jailed for 24 weeks and given a two-year restraining order.


Rachael Oakley, the director of SmartWater's intelligence unit, says that there is no element of doubt when it comes to using forensic markings, unlike other deterrents, such as CCTV.

"SmartWater is made up of a combination of rare elements that would never be found naturally anywhere else in the world. Every bottle has a different amount of those particles within it and each batch is unique, meaning we can tell categorically which batch of liquid is found.

"Our database is the forensic link back to that person."


WATCH: How forensic spray is fighting domestic violence


AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
JD Vance Warns Europe Faces “Civilizational Suicide” Over Open Borders and Speech Limits
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
×