It is recognised that coercive control is a key feature of abusive relationships. It is therefore essential that the conceptualisation of coercive control and the impact it has on the whole family is recognised and understood. This review, written by SafeLives – a national charity dedicated to ending domestic abuse for good – is concerned in particular with coercive and controlling behaviour within the context of public and private law proceedings.

The latest Femicide Census report, published in December 2018, reveals that 139 women killed by men in 2017, and 40% of cases featured ‘overkilling’. Three quarters (76%, 105) of women killed by men were killed by someone they knew; 30 women were killed by a stranger, of whom 21 were killed in a terrorist attack.

This document is proposed as the alternative bill to the government’s forthcoming Domestic Abuse Bill 2018 and presents a summary of the key proposals. This bill is based on a deep understanding of the lived experiences of all those subjected to violence against women and girls (VAWG). It calls for a transformative response that is embedded in an equalities and human rights-based approach, and which is consistent with international and regional conventions and the laws of this country that reinforce the Public Sector Duty against discrimination of any kind. 

“Female survivors of sexual violence in Greater Manchester are not able to access the support they need.” It’s an alarming statement, but it was the conclusion reached in conversations between Manchester Action on Street Health, Manchester Rape Crisis (MRC) and Trafford Rape Crisis (TRC). This research explores experiences of accessing support for survivors of sexual violence in Greater Manchester.