Coercive Control

Question 1

Define Coercive Control

Answer 1

A person (A) commits an offence if:

(A) repeatedly or continuously engages in behaviour towards another person (B) that is coercive or controlling and at the time of the behaviour (A) and (B) are personally connected, the behaviour has a serious effect on (B), and (A) knows or ought to know that the behaviour will have a serious effect on (B)

Question 2

Define Section 76 Serious Crime Act 2015

Answer 2

A range of acts designed to make a person subordinate and/or dependent by isolating them from sources of support, exploiting their resources and capacities for personal gain, depriving them of the means needed for independence, resistance and escape and regulating their everyday behaviour.

Question 3

List how the offence makes a victim of coercive control feel

Answer 3

• Dependent/Subordinate
• Isolating
• Fear of/or actual violence
• Fear consequences of Victim’s behaviour
• Humiliate, harm, punish, frighten

Question 4

Describe how Coercive Control can be ‘personally connected’

Answer 4

• They are, or have been married to or have been civil partner of each other
• They have agreed to marry each other or enter into a civil partnership agreement
• They are, or have been in an intimate personal relationship with each other
• They have, or there has been a time when they each have had, a parental relationship in relation to the same child
• They are relatives

Question 5

Explain Coercive Control ‘Serious Effect’

Answer 5

To prove ‘serious effect’:

• Causes the victim to fear on at least 2 occasions that violence will be used against them S76(4)(a)
• Causes the victim serious alarm or distress which has a substantial adverse effect in their day to day activities S76(4)(b)

Question 6

What are the defence to coercive control

Answer 6

• A believed to be acting in the best interests of B
• The behaviour in all the circumstances was reasonable

Question 7

List the entrapment process

Answer 7

Stage 1 - Grooming/conditioning
Stage 2 - Normalisation
Stage 3 - Entrapment