New Domestic Abuse offence comes into force today

A new domestic abuse offence of coercive and controlling behaviour, announced by the government on 18th December, comes into force today, 29th December 2015.

The maximum penalty for the new offence will be five years imprisonment and a fine.

The new law will help protect victims by outlawing sustained patterns of behaviour that stop short of serious physical violence, but amount to extreme psychological and emotional abuse. Victims of coercive control can have every aspect of life controlled by their partner, often being subjected to daily intimidation and humiliation.

The government ran a consultation over the summer seeking views on whether the law on domestic abuse needs to be strengthened. Eighty-five per cent of respondents agreed that the law does not currently provide sufficient protection to victims. Fifty-five per cent said that a new offence was needed to strengthen and clarify the law on coercive and controlling behaviour in intimate relationships.

Coercive and controlling behaviour can include the abuser preventing their victim from having friendships or hobbies, refusing them access to money and determining minute aspects of their everyday life, such as when they are allowed to eat, sleep and go to the toilet.

The new offence complements major ongoing work in response to an investigation by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary on the police response to domestic abuse, commissioned by the Home Secretary. In addition to creating the new offence, the Home Secretary is chairing a national oversight group to lead implementation of the report’s recommendations and make significant and lasting improvements to how the police deal with domestic abuse.

The new legislation will enable the Crown Prosecution Service to bring charges where there is evidence of repeated, or continuous, controlling or coercive behaviour within an intimate or family relationship.

Staff working together to improve criminal justice system in Norfolk and Suffolk for victims

Norfolk & Suffolk Criminal Justice Board hosted a successful staff event yesterday, focussed on improving crime victims’ experience of the criminal justice system.

The event was attended by staff from agencies across the criminal justice system, including Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service, Victim Support, the National Probation Service, Citizens Advice Witness Service, Leeway, Norfolk Constabulary, Lighthouse Women’s Aid, Suffolk Constabulary and the Youth Offending Service.

The day was spent mapping a victims ‘journey’ through the criminal justice system; evidencing how effectively the Victims Code of Practice is being delivered locally and finding out which other services are being provided to victims of crime. Staff also discussed where they think there are gaps, blockages and duplications and how these could be resolved.

In the New Year these findings will be presented to some victims, who will be asked to compare this to their own experience of the criminal justice system, and where they think improvements should be made.

This will give criminal justice staff a better idea of where they are delivering a good service to victims and which areas they need to concentrate on improving.