In a landmark victory for victims of sexual, domestic and family violence, the NSW government have finally recognised that abuse is not always physical.  

 A new law to criminalise coersive control was announced by the NSW government on the 20 July, which will see perpetrators of this form of abuse gaoled for up to seven years. 

While it is a much more subtle form of abuse, Solicitor Hannah Robinson from the Dubbo-based Western NSW Community Legal Centre said that "for many victims, the long-term impacts of controlling, non-violent behaviour are significantly worse than the impact of any physical violence."  

In 2020, the legal centre sent a submission to the Federal Government's inquiry into family, domestic and sexual violence, and called for a “shift in approach” when responding to non-physical abuse by introducing a “coercive control” offence, which has now been successful.  

"Through working with victims, our domestic violence unit have come to recognise the multitude of ways in which perpetrators of domestic and family abuse seek to exert power and control to oppress their victims," said Ms Robinson.  

Full Stop Australia CEO, Hayley Foster, also welcomed the announcement by the NSW Government and called on other states and territories across Australia to follow suit.  

“This is a landmark decision. It is a win for a diverse range of survivors and frontline workers from right across the state,” Ms Foster said.  

“As a result of these reforms women and children in particular will be much safer.”  

“This reform will also send a clear message that abusive behaviours will not be tolerated," she said.  

Director of Counselling Services at Full Stop Australia, Tara Hunter, who manages the national violence and abuse trauma counselling helpline, 1800 FULL STOP, praised the NSW Government on this reform.  

“This legislation will serve as an acknowledgement for victim-survivors of the devastating impacts of coercive control – impacts that would otherwise be invisible,” Ms Hunter said.  

Attorney General Mark Speakman said the NSW government is consulting on a public exposure draft bill to outlaw coercive control in intimate partner relationships as part of its ongoing response to the Parliamentary Joint Select Committee on Coercive Control.  

"Coercive control is complex, is insidious and causes untold harm for its victims," Mr Speakman said.  

"Creating a stand-alone offense will strengthen our criminal justice system's responses to abuse, but consultation is critical to ensure these reforms only capture very serious incidences of abuse, avoid overreach and do not unintentionally endanger those in our community we are seeking to help." 

If this has raised any issues, call the National Violence and Abuse Trauma Counselling and Recovery Service on 1800 FULL STOP (1800 385 578) or chat online at www.fullstop.org.au for 24/7, free, confidential counselling.