A 44-year-old man from the Riverina region in southern New South Wales has become the first individual to face charges under the state’s newly enacted coercive control laws. This significant legal milestone occurred just weeks after the laws took effect in July 2024, marking a major advancement in combating domestic abuse in NSW.
Arrest Following Report by Victim
The ABC reports that on July 26, a 39-year-old woman walked into a Leeton police station to report coercive control. It is a form of domestic abuse characterized by patterns of emotional, psychological, and sometimes physical control. Later that day, police arrested the woman’s partner at a nearby residence.
The man was charged with multiple domestic violence offenses, including coercive control, stalking, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He was refused bail at his court appearance in Wagga Wagga Local Court, and police applied for an apprehended domestic violence order to protect the victim.
New Laws Aim to Combat Domestic Abuse
Coercive control refers to a pattern of behaviors such as emotional abuse, intimidation, threats, and financial control, where abusers limit their partner’s independence and psychological freedom. NSW Domestic Violence Death Review Team data revealed a strong correlation between coercive control and intimate partner homicide, noting that 97 percent of intimate partner homicides between 2000 and 2018 were linked to coercive control behaviors.
The NSW legislation, which passed in 2022 but took effect in July 2024, was created to address this form of abuse. The law, which includes penalties of up to seven years in prison, is one of the first in Australia to recognize coercive control as a standalone criminal offense.
Prior to its enforcement, NSW authorities spent nearly a year training police, the judiciary, and the public on identifying and prosecuting cases under these new rules. This shift in the law followed increased public awareness, sparked by high-profile cases such as the murder of Hannah Clarke and her children in 2020. The case, which highlighted the lethal nature of coercive control, contributed to similar legislative efforts in Queensland, which will introduce its own laws in 2025 under “Hannah’s Law.”
Early Reports Show Significant Incidence of Coercive Control
In the first month after the laws came into effect, NSW police received 23 reports of coercive control. According to data from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, 91 percent of victims were female, and more than 60 percent of cases involved allegations of threats and intimidation. One report involved harm to a child and another involved animal abuse.
Other frequent abuses included shaming or degrading behavior, harassment, monitoring, and financial abuse. These early numbers demonstrate the prevalence of this hidden form of domestic abuse.
Experts anticipate a rise in coercive control charges in the coming months as awareness of the law grows, and more victims feel empowered to come forward.
The implementation of coercive control laws marks a critical step forward in protecting victims and holding abusers accountable, positioning NSW as a leader in the fight against domestic violence in Australia.
Featured image: First coercive control charges in NSW. Source: lllonajalll / Adobe Stock.
