THE SDLP’s Mark H Durkan has welcomed new laws on coercive control which came into force in the North on Monday.
Mr Durkan said the laws would provide important protections for people in abusive relationships and could be a turning point in how domestic abuse is handled.
Said the Foyle MLA: “These new domestic abuse laws are long overdue, but their introduction will provide important protections for people who find themselves in abusive relationships and will ensure that abusers cannot escape justice and are properly punished for their actions.
“Abuse takes many forms, it’s not all physical or verbal.
“Someone who finds themselves in an abusive relationship can be subjected to harm in many different ways and the psychological impact of continued abuse can be devastating and cause ripple effects for many years.
“I have pushed for action to tackle coercive control in recent years, bringing forward an amendment to the Domestic Abuse, Rape and Sexual crime motion in 2016 to specifically acknowledge this form of abuse, arguing the need for legal protections against it.
“The nature of relationships is changing. Advances in technology and mediums like the internet and social media have opened up more opportunities for abusers to target their victims and put pressure on them.
“As society changes so too must our laws to protect vulnerable people and hold abusers to account.
“It’s important that this is followed up with an information campaign that illustrates to the public, particularly younger people, exactly what coercive control is and what it looks and feels like.
“People need to be able to recognise the signs of an unhealthy relationship and how and where to access support when it’s needed.”
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