Options paper: strengthening Victoria’s response to coercive control

While coercive and controlling behaviour causes profound harm and must be addressed, a standalone criminal offence is unlikely to deliver the improvements in safety and accountability that victim-survivors deserve. 

At best, it will create expectations that the legal system may struggle to meet. Victim-survivors could be asked to endure lengthy investigations, cross-examinations and court processes to prove patterns of behaviour that are often subtle, cumulative and difficult to establish beyond reasonable doubt. 

At worst, an offence risks entrenching existing system failures in Victoria, including systems abuse and misidentification of victim-survivors, resulting in further harm to the very people it is intended to protect. 

The Family Violence Justice and Advocacy Network's paper Strengthening Victoria’s response to coercive control: Whole-of-system reforms for safety and accountability sets out the reforms needed to move beyond criminalisation and deliver meaningful improvements in safety, accountability and access to justice for victim-survivors.