Domestic violence will now include mental torment too and laws will be applied to th...

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mental torment, mind games and money controls too... and laws will be applied to those aged under 18

Current definition taken to refer to physical violence but police will now be expected to act over partners who abuse their partners in a 'controlling' fashion

By James Chapman PUBLISHED: 22:35 GMT, 17 September 2012 | UPDATED: 08:18 GMT, 18 September 2012

New definition: Home Secretary Theresa May will announce the change in interpretation tomorrow

Men who bully their partners by verbally abusing them, taking control of their finances or isolating them from friends and family are guilty of domestic violence and could be prosecuted, ministers will say tomorrow. In a dramatic shake-up, details of which have been leaked to the Mail, the definition of domestic abuse is to be widened to encompass a wide range of coercive or threatening behaviour. At the moment, domestic abuse is generally taken to refer to acts of physical violence. But police and prosecutors will be expected to use the new definition when identifying and monitoring cases, meaning men who abuse partners in a controlling fashion could face charges too. It will also be applied to those under 18 for the first time as concerns grow that increasing numbers of teenage girls are the victims of abusive relationships.

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There has never been a specific criminal offence of domestic violence. Instead, ministers agreed a definition in 2004 that refers to incidents of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse. The Government is concerned that the police and other agencies are not applying this broadly enough. The Centre for Social Justice, a think-tank set up by Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith, has led calls for coercive control to be included in official definitions of domestic abuse, and wants to see prosecutions even if no physical harm has been caused. The new definition will not be written into law, however, as the CSJ has proposed. Instead it will be broadened to define domestic violence as any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. A source said: This isnt about people having a row and shouting. Its about peoples whole lives being controlled, whether thats not being allowed a bank account, access to a phone or to leave the house. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Home Secretary Theresa May will say this can encompass psychological, physical, sexual, financial and emotional control. Mrs May has described domestic violence as a particularly dreadful form of abuse.

Domestic abuse prosecutions more than doubled from 35,000 in 2005 to 74,000 in 2010, and the conviction rate increased from 46 per cent to 72 per cent

The definition will include so-called honour attacks, female genital mutilation and forced marriage, and make it clear that victims are not confined to one gender. According to recent Home Office statistics, 7 per cent of women and 5 per cent of men reported that they had experienced domestic violence. Whitehall sources insisted the law would not change as a result of the reform, but said police and prosecutors would use the new definition.

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Even though non-statutory, the change is supposed to influence public-sector bodies, one said. You wouldnt be prosecuted for coercive control, just as you wouldnt be prosecuted for domestic violence, because neither of them are criminal offences. But if coercive control amounted to harassment, then you could be prosecuted for that. We hope to raise awareness that domestic violence and abuse does not just encompass physical abuse but can also include coercion and control.

'We hope to raise awareness that domestic violence and abuse does not just encompass physical abuse but can also include coercion and control'
Whitehall source Prosecutions for domestic abuse in Britain more than doubled from 35,000 in 2005 to 74,000 in 2010, and the conviction rate increased from 46 per cent to 72 per cent. Last year, according to the Home Office, there were more than one million female victims of domestic abuse in England and Wales, with domestic violence accounting for 18 per cent of all violent incidents. Diana Barran, of the charity Co-ordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse, said extreme levels of control, rather than physical violence, were probably the most common precursor to domestic killings. People are completely controlled in all their daily activities, prevented from taking medication, prevented from seeing friends, controlled in what they wear, who they talk to, literally on every single level.

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Comments (241)
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View all Hang on, a minute: why does the article begin "MEN who bully.........."? What about women who do so? Are we REALLY to believe that women verbally abuse and control less than men? I argue that violence is more 50:50 than we think, between the genders; but when it comes to verbal abuse, I'd say that women rule the road (women are more verbal than men, in general). Typically, the law will have been designed to appease feminists, who wish for more men to be convicted of crimes against women. Even if this law is gender-neutral, it will lead to more false allegations; most of which will be made by women, being as men don't want to be seen as victims, and know they won't be taken seriously, anyway. I mean, how the Hell do you prove things like verbal abuse etc, anyway? And if anyone questions that women will make false allegations more, look at the ridicule men hit by women receive; it's seen as hilarious. More feminist nonsense, to divide the genders. I will be telling my son not to marry. - Matt Walker , Exeter, 19/9/2012 15:02 Click to rate Report abuse A colleague of mine was domesticallyabused for years. She finally went to the police after he held a can of petrol to her and threatened to set her alight!! He was given a police caution!!! He didnt even have to apologise or get counselling!! She is left petrified. so the sooner the laws regarding this change the better. - Jj , London, United Kingdom, 19/9/2012 14:54 Click to rate Report abuse A colleague of mine was domesticallyabused for years. She finally went to the police after he held a can of petrol to her and threatened to set her alight!! He was given a police caution!!! He didnt even have to apologise or get counselling!! She is left petrified. so the sooner the laws regarding this change the better. - Jj , London, United Kingdom, 19/9/2012 14:49 Click to rate Report abuse Although domestic violence victims are currently overwhelmingly female, the laws do not discriminate against men who are the victims - gam, London, ---------- let me correct you there , the VICTIMS are NOT overwhelmingly female , the CONVICTIONS are overwhelmingly male , in other words, just becuase women are not often convicted of domestic violence does NOT mean they commit less , it's means that biased sexist courts brush off Female perpretrators like it never happened , in fear of upsetting the institutionalised feminists.the fact that you once worked for such a sexist institution tells me everything I need to know about where your views come from , anyone who's heard of Erin pizzey will know what happens when someone suggests men can be Victims too - Pirate100 , London, United Kingdom, 19/9/2012 13:09 Click to rate Report abuse Rating 71 Rating 44 Rating 45 Rating 144

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It's this sort of disgraceful sexism , that makes me so angry , men in this country are second class citizens ,we all think women are such innocent little princesses , when infact from my experiance , I've seen more violent women and abusive women than I have men.a few years ago it was suggested that 45% of cases where male victims , but as soon as they come out , the feminists didn't like it , and now we don't hear about male victims anymore. The ones that do come forward get ridiculed , and the ones that don't , go unheard of. If this new law is what it seems to be ,there's an awfull lot of men who can now report their wives , partners for domestic violence , however as made clear in this article , this new law only works for one sex yet again, people often say about sexism against women , but in truth the gender that should be complaining is men - Pirate100 , London, United Kingdom, 19/9/2012 12:54 Click to rate Report abuse I for one think this is good, it will help to catch the WOMEN who virbally and mentally abuse men and have done for years. All we need now if for the macho police to stop laughing when a man reports a woman for abuse. - littletrees1 , London, 19/9/2012 12:07 Click to rate Report abuse I was mentally/verbally abused by my ex. He was on dating sites, having affairs and even with evidence, turned it round that it was me. Would go to work one day and return 3-4 days later! It took me a long time to get out of my relationship and I lost everything. He even left me in debt! I am at present seeing a counsellor for PTSD due to the mental abuse I had and I have to "re-live" a specific incident for therapy work ! More does need to be done, and women should be helped more so that we don't go from one abusive partner to another! With my counselling I am being taught how to pick up the signs of someone who may have a controlling/abusive nature, so as I dont fall prey again! - angelstar , brighton, United Kingdom, 19/9/2012 11:49 Click to rate Report abuse Women need to stop ignoring abusive behavior early on & thinking things will change after they get married, etc. - GG , Beautiful South Carolina, 18/9/2012 23:54 Click to rate Report abuse Unfortunately my brother's ex wife took the house, the car, and everything and kicked him out with a backpack of clothes when she had several affairs. Had the children and used as weapons he lost everything. She had taken his income and mentally bullied him for years as well as having several affairs. Much help for ladies and rightly so but very little help for men - who could he turn to? The horrid woman took the lot and the children and he could do nothing. Women can be cruel, evil, selfish and abuse just as easy as men can. - anna , Devon, United Kingdom, 18/9/2012 22:15 Click to rate Report abuse It may be a law that is drafted to apply equally to men and women, but will it really? There is still a lot of pressure on men not to reveal they are being bullied by a woman. Some thirty years ago I worked in a dole office, and one of the claimants came in, built like a brick outhouse and covered in bruises. We asked him what had happened, he replied that he'd stayed out all night, on returning home his wife, a tiny girl, had worked him over with the frying pan! I am ashamed to say we laughed! Would the poor chap ever tell anyone, ever again what had happened? Further I have a cousin who encourages her successive partners to be aggressive towards her, screaming at them to hit her, when having any form of disagreement. And if one of them hit her, guess who gets who gets the sympathy - that's right she does, even though she has egged them until it's intolerable. I've seen her do this, and felt like hitting her myself - and I'm not violent! It cuts both ways, so should the law! - Dragongilla , Carlisle, 18/9/2012 21:51 Rating 86 Rating 12 Rating 11 Rating 45 Rating 59

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