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Experts from Scotland who led push to criminalise coercive control give evidence to Australian committee

Scotland has laws that are considered the “gold standard” for protecting women and children from coercive control and they have caught the eye of Australian politicians.
Key points:
- Scotland brought in laws criminalising coercive control last year
- Federal politicians in Australia have turned to the people who developed them as they believe more can be done here
- Scottish Women’s Aid chief executive Dr Marsha Scott says the old laws were ineffective at responding to coercive control
Coercive control is when patterns of abusive behaviours are used by one person to dominate and control another in a relationship.
It usually happens gradually and can involve things like threats, surveillance, insults and withholding money.
It is described as the…
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