Domestic abuse in the spotlight

[DanaC]

Justin Lee Collins, a comedian and tv presenter, was found guilty this week of harrassing his former partner, causing fear of violence.

This is a bit of a legal landmark:

Some within the legal profession will have been watching this trial closely because of its focus on controlling behaviour. While this is something that is often cited in divorce cases, a clear message that this is also something for the criminal courts has been sent out.

While Collins was initially arrested on suspicion of assault, he was later charged with a single charge of harassment, causing fear of violence.

Many people do not even realise that mental and emotional bullying is illegal, says Rachel Horman, head of domestic violence at the law firm Watson Ramsbottom in Blackburn.

The harassment charge was originally brought in to deal with stalkers, says Horman, and is the only tool that police can use in a domestic abuse case where there hasn't been any physical violence.

Many of the details are bizarre. But they have a ring to them that is recognisable. The 'through the looking-glass' nature of emotional abuse.

Alongside orders to always sleep facing him:

She was subjected to tirades of verbal abuse and ordered to abandon her email account and shut down her Facebook page.

In a recording made by Larke, Collins was heard telling her she could look at inanimate objects - a tree, the ground, a bench - but never another man.

There were the threats that if she fell asleep before him, she ran the risk of him texting other women.

Then there was the Pukka Pad, in which details of her previous sexual encounters and relationships were logged, only to be used at a later date to belittle her.

Many people reading these details may now be able to appreciate that mental abuse can be just as painful as physical abuse. Hitting a partner in the face is generally seen as constituting abuse, but many people don't understand the power of day-in-day-out bullying.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19783496


He has been sentenced to 140 hours unpaid community work.