"Home Secretary Theresa May has today (Thursday 18 December) announced a new domestic abuse offence of coercive and controlling behaviour. The maximum penalty for the new offence will be five years imprisonment and a fine," a statement published on the UK government's website read.
The law to be drafted will make actions such as depriving a partner of access to family budget and forbidding them to have or interact with friends offenses.
According to UK Home Secretary Theresa May, coercive control can have ramifications similar to those caused by torture.
"Coercive control can be tantamount to torture. In many cases, dominance over the victim develops and escalates over the years until the perpetrator has complete control. Putting a foot wrong can result in violent outbursts, with victims living in fear for their lives," May was quoted as saying in a statement.
The law was drafted following governmental consultations over the summer, where 85 percent of respondents to a survey conducted by the UK government said the acting laws had not provided enough protection to victims of such domestic behavior.
Reports first surfaced in November of domestic coercive control and behavior being deemed an offense by the UK Home Office, with British media predicting that the penalty for such an offense could amount to up to 14 years in prison, which is much greater than the maximum five-year imprisonment announced today.
According to the Women's Aid Federation of England charity, every minute one case of domestic abuse is reported to law enforcement bodies in the UK, while on average two women are killed by a current or former partner every week in the UK.
