Legislation to criminalise coersive control in Queensland passed in Parliament yesterday, carrying a maximum penalty of 14 years in jail.
Coersive control is defined by the Attorney-General’s Department as, “perpetrators using patterns of abusive behaviours over time in a way that creates fear and denies liberty and autonomy.”
It is an underpinning dynamic of family and domestic violence.
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Small Steps 4 Hannah Co-founder Lloyd Clarke says, “we don’t want it to go down the path of youth crime where they get caught by the police, and then they’re let out on some sort of misdemeanour.”
Queensland and New South Wales are leading the way when it comes to coersive control laws, which are set to come into effect next year.
“A bit under twelve months for people to start looking at coersive control and learning more about it and doing whatever they can to keep a respectful relationship”, Clarke says.
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