What is “Domestic Violence” under the Coercive Control Laws in QLD?
Establishing that there has been more than 1 incident of “domestic violence” is an essential part of determining whether a “coercive control offence” has been committed.
First, domestic violence here does necessarily mean a single event. The amendments make it clear that domestic violence might take place over time or multiple events that, when taken together, meet the requirements.
There are six primary behaviours addressed in the definition of domestic violence. They are:
1. Physically or sexually abusive;
2. Emotionally or psychologically abusive;
3. Economically abusive;
4. Threatening;
5. Coercive; and
6. Anything else that controls or dominates the second person and causes them to fear for their safety or wellbeing (or that of someone else).
Is This where Domestic Violence is Headed?
As you can see, there is a lot to think about, and a lot of questions to ask about how the coercive control legislation is going to work in practice.
While the above definitions of “domestic violence” are, for the moment, limited to the coercive control legislation, we cannot help but wonder if they are a sign of things to come in other areas such as parenting matters.
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