UK: Criminalizes Psychological Abuse towards Partners in a Relationship; 5 years Imprisonment Enforced

UK's Serious Crime Bill has expounded its reach by having a new law against abusive partners. An imprisonment of 5 years is set for those who will be found guilty.

The new law directed towards abusive partners is set to be legally active today, December 29, 2015. The law targets those partners in a relationship who post psychological abuse towards their partners through 'coercive or controlling behavior offences' says International Business Times. The law also conspires for the reduction of psychological bullying which mainly causes physical violence and extreme psychological and emotional abuse added IBT.

The offenders, on the other hand will face either a sizeable fine or a maximum of 5 years imprisonment once found guilty. The offensive engagements included in the law are as follows: stopping their partners from accessing bank accounts, refusing to pay for their child's support and restricting their possible means of escape by taking away their passports or car keys. The abused partner on the other hand could report of the abuse within the span of two years as it was overwritten by the previously stated six month span by the law as reported by Mail Online.

The amendments made in the law comes with the increasing statistics of women being killed by their partners every month in the UK says Independent. A study also revealed in February that nearly two women a week are killed by a partner or an ex-partner. Shireen Jamil, who used to be a model was one of those who viciously campaigned for the new law saying the statistical count of killings is unacceptable. She also added that, it is not enough to give the actual figure of the number of women being killed rather we must also know about the number of women who commit suicide every week due to not only physical violence but also because of the coercive control of their partners to them.

Ms Jamil, who is now at her 60s said that. "It is very gratifying to know that future generations will benefit from getting the justice denied me." Ms Jamil was only one of the many women who was trapped in an abusive marriage out of the many other not only in the UK. Although her former partner was arrested, a prosecution will not be granted due to the failure of tracking down her medical records.

The new law, which will allow abused partners to report any 'coercive and controlling behavior' now extends in a span of two years rather than the previously stated six month span. The law is believed to reduce the induced psychological and emotional abuse and a consequence of a 5 year imprisonment for the offender.

Tags

UK Imposes new law for coercive partners, psychological and emotional abuse reduction, Shireen Jamil, Abusive marriages, 5 years of imprisonment, Psychological Abuse, UK's Serious Crime Bill

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