Judge gives sobbing abuser no sympathy
A 26-year-old man who punched and bit his partner sobbed in the dock as he faced Judge Robert Egbuna at Derby Crown Court. “You need to stop crying in front of court. Your partner is here. She is the one that should be crying,” Judge Egbuna was quoted as saying by the Derbyshire Live […]
Hundreds of DA crimes recorded under new Scottish law
A total of 414 cases of coercive and controlling behaviour were recorded by Police Scotland in the three months after the activity was criminalised in April. Of those cases, 190 were reported to prosecutors and 13 people convicted. The constabulary has trained 18,500 officers and staff on domestic abuse and the new offence […]
Children should be regarded as DA victims – parliamentary committee
[vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1489792662097{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1489792637103{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1561549507269{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]The government’s Domestic Abuse Bill should be amended so children are recognised as victims of adult-on-adult domestic abuse in their household, says a parliamentary joint committee which reviewed the draft legislation. Ministers have responded by saying the government intends to include harm caused to children […]
Courts claim early success in video hearing tests
[vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1489792662097{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1489792637103{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1558525857318{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Initial feedback from participants in a pilot scheme trying out video court hearings in the UK has been positive, says the courts and tribunals service. The intention is vulnerable people, such as domestic abuse victims seeking injunctions in cases of intimidation or threat of violence, […]
Dublin includes DA in extension of legal reach
[vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1489792662097{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1489792637103{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1558525296581{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]The Irish government has listed coercion and assault causing harm among serious crimes covered by the Criminal Law Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act. The measure allows an Irish citizen or resident to be prosecuted in Ireland, even if the offences – which include sexual assault, rape and […]
Hundreds use ‘Clare’s Law’ in Northern Ireland
[vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1489792662097{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1489792637103{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1556298242667{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]A total of 326 applications were made in the first year of Northern Ireland’s Domestic Violence and Abuse Disclosure Scheme. The ‘Clare’s Law’ provisions were introduced a year ago this month. Forty people judged to be at risk have been warned about their partner’s abusive […]
Scotland toughens DA legislation
[vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1489792662097{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1489792637103{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1556297841708{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]The Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act which criminalises psychological domestic abuse and coercive and controlling behaviour came into force on 1 April. The Scottish government says the act is Britain’s only legislation with statutory sentencing powers to reflect the harm that can be caused to children […]
Government publishes Domestic Abuse Bill
[vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1489792662097{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1489792637103{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column_text]After months of consultation, the government has produced its draft Domestic Abuse Bill which proposes nine changes to legislation and legal practice covering domestic abuse. They are: a statutory definition of domestic abuse; prohibit perpetrators of domestic and other forms of abuse cross-examining their victims in person in […]
Coercive control is now offence in Ireland
[vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1489792662097{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1489792637103{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1548688990937{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]The Domestic Violence Act, which came into force across the Republic of Ireland on 2 January, includes coercive control among its list of offences. “For too long, society has thought of domestic violence primarily as physical abuse,” said justice minister Charlie Flanagan. “Coercive control […]
Domestic abusers’ register required – London Assembly
[vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1489792662097{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1489792637103{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1548688370193{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]A domestic abusers’ register is needed in the government’s draft Domestic Abuse Bill, says the London Assembly. Such a register would help police to be pro-active on domestic violence, as reactive policing is often too late, the assembly argues. It recommends the system should work […]
