Coercive control now to be treated like other domestic abuse offences

In England and Wales, offenders convicted of coercive or controlling behavior will now face stricter management by police and probation services, meaning this type of offense is being treated "on par" with other domestic abuse crimes. Starting Monday, those convicted of this offense and sentenced to 12 months or more will automatically be managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (Mappa).

Under Mappa, police, probation services, prison services, and other agencies are legally required to work together to better manage the risks posed by offenders. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) stated that this measure is the first to treat controlling or coercive behavior on par with other domestic abuse offenses, including threats to kill and stalking. Under Mappa, agencies are legally required to share any information indicating an increased risk to former partners and the public.

The MoJ stated that offenders managed under the scheme have a reoffending rate of less than half the national average. Coercive control is a psychological type of domestic abuse where perpetrators use threats, humiliation, and intimidation to harm and frighten victims. Over time, this can isolate victims and deprive them of their independence. It often occurs alongside other forms of domestic abuse and has been a criminal offense in the UK since 2015.

The legal change regarding the management of those convicted of controlling or coercive behavior was introduced by the previous government in the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 and came into effect on Monday. Previously, those convicted could only be actively managed on a discretionary basis. This legal change applies to offenders sentenced to at least 12 months in prison (including suspended sentences) or those who have been given a hospital order for committing controlling or coercive behavior in an intimate or familial relationship.

Minister for Safeguarding and Minister for Women and Children, Jess Phillips, said: "Under this change in the law, coercive or controlling behavior is for the first time being put where it belongs – on par with serious violent crime." Women's Aid said it welcomed the plans to take the offense "seriously". The charity’s chief executive Farah Nazeer said that coercive control is a "key tool used by domestic abuse perpetrators as it isolates and makes survivors dependent on their abuser". She added that specialist domestic abuse services "must" be included in the Mappa process "if survivors are to be properly protected by this measure."