By Lucy Caulkett-
Psychological, economic, and financial abuse will become part of legislation to combat domestic abuse in Northern Ireland, and will go through Stormont, not Westminster, the justice minister has said.
The new laws to be brought through the Northern Ireland Assembly will make coercive control, such as behaviour that amounts to “psychological, emotional or financial abuse”, a criminal offence.
She said there were “advantages and disadvantages” to both routes, with some debate over whether the laws could be brought in place quicker through Westminster.
Domestic abuse in the rest of the Uk already includes psychological, physical, financial or emotional abuse. ‘Domestic abuse’ can be prosecuted under a range of offences and the term is used to describe a range of controlling and coercive behaviours, used by one person to maintain control over another with whom they have, or have had, an intimate or family relationship.
Mrs Long had said it was a priority for people in Northern Ireland to be able to “attend committee hearings, give evidence and challenge any draft legislation” and that it would be “more convenient” to have Stormont take forward the new laws.
Now, she has confirmed the legislation will go through the assembly.’
The laws will make it an offence for a person to engage in a course of abusive behaviour (on two or more occasions) against someone they are personally connected to.
The justice minister said it would “send a clear message that domestic abuse in all its forms, including both physical and non-physical controlling and abusive behaviour, is wrong”.
“The new offence will recognise that domestic abuse is not only physical but can be much more insidious,” she said.
“For many, for too long this has been a hidden problem.
“We can, and will, bring it out into the open and shed light on what can often be a dark secret.