Coercive Control – A Real Criminal Offence

As I am doing a law degree so I can hopefully bring justice and fight for people who have been through similar situations to me.

One of the modules that actualy helped me heal from a past abusive relationship (well multiple actually) is ‘Coercion’ it comes under the offences involving people act.

Now, when I was in my last relationship. like most people, I didnt know until I left just how Coercive and controlling the realtionship was.

I barely new what the word meant at the time, I only started to understand and see it when I started to google ‘is this behaviour okay’?

One of the main symptoms or effects of Coercive control on the victim is that they believe that it is all their fault and that if they spoke up they would get in touble.

So when the police or solicitor are asking a victim

Has the offender been manipulating you?

Did they control you?

Has your life been dramatically changed by the behaviour of the controlling person?

The normal answer of this from the victim or infact the answer would be different if it wasnt coercive control that they had been recieveing is no, they are fine, and its their fault.

So you can see the problem they have to prosecute.

So the law is changing to recognise these criminal acts as offences.

What people need to know is that it is a criminal offence!

Perpertrators can get prison time for doing this!

It became a criminal offence in England and Wales through the passage into law of s76 Serious Crime Act 2015 (SCA 2015) – See a link to the legislation here which lays out the law around this – https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/9/section/76

Also what people dont know is that the perpatrator doesnt just have to be a married partner it can be a family member, as long as there has been or there is a relation or relationship there, there is a case.

Historically, the criminal law has always been reluctant to step ‘behind closed doors’ and to regulate what happens in people’s private relationships.

But as the effect of this abuse is so detrimental and serious to the victims, the law is stepping up to help protect people and also punish those that make the choise to do this to their victims.

So in the new Act 2015. They simplized it the 4 elements that need to be met are:

1)Behaviour that is controlling or Coercive

2)The behaviour is continuous (cannot be a one off).

3)There needs to be a person connection. ie in a relationship, or related.

4)The behaviour has a serious affect on the victim.

‘controlling’ behaviour and ‘coercive’ by law are considered 2 seperate concepts. That means the perpatrator can be controlling or coercive in their beahviour.

So what does the law recognise as coercive or controlling behaviour?

Isolation

Stopping you from seeing friends or family
Monitoring who you speak to
Preventing you leaving the house
Sabotaging your support network

Case law example:
R v RK (2018) — offender restricted partner’s contact with friends/family.

Financial control

Taking your bank cards
Controlling every penny you spend
Forcing you to ask permission for money
Stealing your wages
Putting debts in your name

CPS explicitly lists this as coercive control.

Monitoring and surveillance

Checking your phone constantly
Demanding passwords
Using GPS/airtags to track you
Reading messages/emails
Monitoring social media

Digital surveillance is specifically listed as coercive.

Threats and intimidation

Threatening to harm you, your children, pets, or themselves
Threatening to expose personal information
Smashing objects, punching walls
Using shouting or silence to create fear

The law recognises fear of violence as a key element.

Controlling day-to-day activities

Dictating what you wear
Controlling how you clean, cook, or behave
Setting “rules” you must follow
Punishing you for not meeting their expectations

This was used in several prosecutions since 2016.

Gaslighting

Denying your reality
Making you think you’re “crazy” or overreacting
Blaming you for their behaviour
Twisting events so you doubt yourself

Gaslighting falls under “psychological manipulation” in CPS guidance.

Deprivation

Taking away your phone, keys, or car
Preventing you from sleeping
Restricting access to medication or healthcare
Controlling food or hygiene

This overlaps with “domestic slavery”-type patterns also recognised in case law.

Jealousy, accusations & possessiveness

Constantly accusing you of cheating
Policing what you wear
Checking your online status
Demanding constant reassurance

This is coercive when persistent and used to control.

Using children as tools

Threatening custody
Turning the children against you
Withholding access
Using your child’s behaviour to control you

This is specifically mentioned in CPS guidance as coercive control.

Coercive control is an unusual offence because it criminalises a pattern of behaviour, rather than a single act or omission.

So these are the basics around the law around Coercive Control.

I will be posting alot more about this, and other Domestic violence laws as its an area I am hugley passionate about.

When I graduate I hope to be a barrister and represent victims in this area.

Why I’m Sharing This

Reading the law, gave me huge closure on a number of realtionships where I felt like they were my fault. That I was a bad girlfriend, and the huge shame that came from them for just existing in the world and how they left me like a broken shell of myself before I met them.

It clarified that, their behvious is a criminal offence.

I wasnt going mad. It was true! I had closure, and I was able to forgive myself and start to rebuild myself again. As I could see how much I had survived and how my reaction was normal to it.

Listen to me when I say this… COERCIVE CONTROL is a CRIMINAL OFFENCE!

Its not only against the law its a criminal offence, which is huge! They wont just get a fine, they can get up to 5 years in prison for this.

No that I can see you if you are going through this!

You are strong enough to leave, you are strong enough to report this to the police. You are strong enough to get your power back and get justice if this is or has happened to you.

None of it was your fault!

I hope this post brings peace to the few that never got closure.

xxxxxx