Good news to all victims of domestic abuse. As more and more cases of domestic abuse are made known to the public, the victims are getting the help they can get. Not only that, several countries throughout the world have now recognized coercive or controlling domestic abuse as a crime.
Beginning Tuesday, coercive or controlling domestic abuse can be considered a crime, even if it doesn't fall into physical violence. And as a crime, the abuser may now be imprisoned by up to five years. Coercive or controlling behavior has been defined under section 76 of the Serious Crime Act 2015. It details that when someone makes an individual fear that violence will be used on them on at least two occasions, that act may already be a crime. It also refers to how serious distress or alarm may have a substantial effect on the victim's daily activities.
In the UK, over 5,400 individuals have been a victim of domestic abuse between October 2014 to October 2015. This includes 3,000 cases of emotional abuse and 900 victims of financial abuse. With its growing number, the Crown Prosecution Service introduced this new legislation to make proper charges in the event of continuous or repeated coercive or controlling behavior within a family or an intimate relationship. This does not limit the abuse to patterns of humiliation, intimidation, or threats. In addition to this, controlling behavior such as taking control of a partner's social media accounts, dictating what to wear, stopping them from socializing, and surveillance through apps may already be considered as abuse.
Coercive or controlling behavior limits an individual's basic rights as a human being, such as their independence and freedom of movement. With the new domestic abuse offense, perpetrators of domestic abuse may now be prosecuted and their victims protected. In doing so, the CPS believes that more victims of domestic abuse will now step up to report what is being done to them behind closed doors.
