Legalization Of Domestic Violence

ADomestic violence as a definition has developed significantly over time, previously this behaviour was limited to just physical violence, however the current definition has branched out to include emotional, financial, sexual and psychological abuse. The Home Office defines this as being ‘any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence or abuse.’ There is no doubt that the law has evolved over time to generate an increased awareness of domestic violence, whilst also offering a wide range of resources and protective measures for the victims. One of the main focal points stemming from the Family Law Act 1996 , is the topic of forced marriage and forced marriage protection orders. This in turn brings …show more content…
Since the introduction of the forced marriage unit in 2005, the number of cases have been steadily declining. From 1,485 cases in 2012 to 1,220 in 2015 proves that criminalisation has had an impact on how many people came forward considering there was a 9% decrease in domestic cases from 2014-2015 . The number of offenders point to a possible major deterrence factor through criminalisation, and emphasises the government’s serious approach. The Law Society was in favour of criminalisation as this would provide certainty to victims and once again send a strong deterrence signal to those plotting against their family members. It would also ensure victims who are coerced have means of legal remedies, where courts facilitate the prosecution of forced marriages . This article points out that others agree that criminalisation would be much more workable or tangible for those suffering, because they ‘would know they that they have recourse to this criminal act.’ Also information, including advice on forced marriage has become widely available, ranging from charities to non-governmental organisations. Criminalisation is a major shift in policy and helps to spread awareness to the general public by highlighting the signs of someone being forced into a marriage, it stresses that this is culturally unacceptable and can’t be justified through religion . Not only this, but the new law empowers victims or family members to actually make a complaint, focusing on their rights and a more victim centred approach. Throughout the past 15 years feminist ideologies, including equality and rights are becoming widespread, and attached to forced marriage is a number of other potential crimes such as rape, forced pregnancy and also sexual violence. The international