The government hopes that coercive control legislation introduced to the ACT Legislative Assembly on Thursday will hold abusers to account despite low conviction rates in other states.
Coercive control is a pattern of abusive behaviours a perpetrator uses to subordinate or control their victim, or make them dependent. A review of 12 ACT family and domestic violence murders from 2000 to 2022 found coercive control was present in almost every case.
If passed after being scrutinised by a committee, the bill would make intentionally using coercive or controlling behaviour, that would reasonably harm the victim or make them afraid, punishable by up to seven years in jail.
