To criminalise or not to criminalise? Coercive control sparks deep division among sexual violence advocacy groups and Indigenous experts.
Note: This story discusses domestic violence and infanticide.
Despite decades of advocacy, awareness campaigns, and legal reforms, violence against women in Australia remains high. One in five women in Australia has experienced sexual violence, and on average one woman a week is murdered by her current or former partner.
There’s been a recent push to criminalise coercive control — patterns of abusive behaviours that rob a person of their independence and is sometimes a precursor to more violent behaviour and murder.
Keep reading to find out why there is division over this difficult subject…
Already a subscriber? Log in to keep reading.
Or, register your email address for a FREE 21-day trial.