The Centre for Women’s Justice has published a report recommending criminal justice reforms in law, policy and practice for victims of coercive control. The report presents the accounts of seven such victims who were unfairly criminalised – leading to their punishment rather than their protection – as illustrated in the case-study below. 

‘Isabella’was prosecuted for theft and fraud after her severely abusive and controlling partner used her bank account to sell stolen caravans. Proceedings were eventually dropped when prosecutors belatedly realised her ex-partner had been convicted of eight counts of rape against her. When Isabella was told the proceedings were going to be dropped, she explained to a Community Psychiatric Nurse she had been planning to commit suicide before her trial began.

The case-studies uncovered: ‘underlying failures by criminal justice practitioners to understand and successfully prosecute coercive control; lack of any effective defence for victims of coercive control who are accused of offending and police failures to gather, review and pass on evidence of coercive control experienced by suspects who are also victims.’

The report makes 11 recommendations for reform – including the introduction of an effective defence for victims who are coerced into offending, and a joint police and Child Protection Service protocol for gathering, passing on and taking account of evidence of coercive control where a suspect in an offence may also be a victim.

For further information, click here.