High Risk Domestic Abuse Coercive Control and Stalking
High Risk Domestic Abuse, Coercive Control and Stalking A talk delivered for the Greater Manchester Family Court Forum 18 th May 2020 Julie Church-Taylor Domestic Abuse Coordinator Greater Manchester Police
We shall be covering • • The Domestic Abuse Bill 2020 Domestic Abuse – typology and definition Coercion and Control Stalking High Risk Domestic Abuse factors Non-fatal strangulation Lived experience of the child
Domestic Abuse - Prevalence • In the year ending March 2019, an estimated 2. 4 million adults aged 16 to 74 years experienced domestic abuse in the last year (1. 6 million women and 786, 000 men). • GMP attend 65, 000+ Domestic incidents a year • Some of those 65, 000 may end up in the family courts, but many victims never report to the Police, preferring to seek a civil solution
Relationship: Abuse Types Bi-Directional Abuse Coercive Control • • Tends to be more asymmetrical (Clear perpetrator and victim) Usually intimate partners but can be intra familial Sustained patterns of psychological abuse, intimidation, threats and humiliation Can feature physical, financial, emotional, and sexual abuse • Not connected to general control behaviour • Relationship dynamic when conflict gets ‘out of hand’ • Both parties in an intimate partner relationship will perpetrate against each other • Can be influenced by situational factors such as drugs, alcohol or mental health Intra familial • Victims often decline offers of help for themselves but request it for the perpetrator • Often features emotional, financial and physical abuse • This type of abuse might feature so called ‘honour’ based violence, which is another form of coercive control
Domestic Abuse Bill 2020 § Statutory definition § All DA victims eligible for special measures in the criminal courts § Domestic Abuse Commissioner § Polygraph testing for offenders on release § New Domestic Abuse Protection Orders § Domestic Violence Disclosure scheme on a statutory footing § Place a duty on local authorities to provide support for victims § New local authority tenancy arrangements § Prohibit perpetrators from cross examining their victims in person in the family courts in England Wales § Extension of the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the criminal courts in England Wales, Scotland NI to further violent and sexual offences Fact sheets are available on the government’s website
Coercive Control Serious Crime Act 2015
Stalking
What is Stalking? A pattern of unwanted, fixated and obsessive behaviour which is intrusive and causes fear of violence or serious alarm or distress Paladin NSAS
4 4 4 Fixated Obsessive Unwanted Repeated
Considering Risk : Five Stalker Types Rejected • Pursues former intimate partner • Desires reconciliation and/or revenge • Criminal assault history • Personality disorders predominate Intimacy Seeking • Desires relationship with “true love” • Oblivious to victim response • Most have erotomaniac delusions • Endows victims with unique qualities Incompetent • Acknowledges victim’s disinterest • Hopes behaviour leads to intimacy Resentful • Feels persecuted and desires retribution • Intends to frighten or distress • Does not endow victim with unique qualities • Specific or general grievance • Low IQ, socially inept, entitled • Paranoid diagnoses Cyber Stalking Predatory • Preparing for sexual attack • Stalks to study and observe • Paraphilias, prior sexual offences are common • No warnings before attack
What is the DASH 2009 Risk Model • A set of 27 questions used to identify, assess and manage risk • For every incident every question must be asked • All decisions and actions must be recorded, reviewed and updated. • The risk identification remains dynamic • The DASH responses should be considered with due regard to any other information held on local and national police systems to help inform the risk • You have responsibility for the risk until it is handed over
Risk Levels Ø STANDARD – current evidence does NOT indicate the likelihood of causing serious harm Ø MEDIUM – there are identifiable indicators of risk of serious harm. The offender has potential to cause serious harm but is unlikely unless there is a change of circumstances Ø HIGH – there are identifiable indicators of risk of serious harm. Dynamic could happen at any time and impact would be serious
What is High Risk Domestic Abuse? A risk that is life-threatening and/or traumatic and from which recovery, whether physical or psychological, can be expected to be difficult or impossible (Home Office 2002, Offender Assessment System 2006)
High Risk Indicators • Victim’s perception of risk • Threats to kill • Separation (child contact) • Use of weapons • Pregnancy and childbirth • Controlling and/or excessively jealous behaviour • Escalation of abuse • Community issues • Stalking • Sexual Assault • Strangulation/ choking/drowning/suffocation • Child abuse • Abuse of animals and/or pets • Alcohol/Drugs/Mental Health • Suicide/Homicide
The Toxic Trio (Complex Interdependencies)
The Lived Experience of the Child
Non-Fatal Strangulation
NFS an important risk factor for homicide of women Nancy Glass J Emerg Med 2008 35(3) Where there is a history of NFS: 6 x risk of becoming a victim of attempted murder 7 x risk of becoming a victim of murder
How much Pressure on the neck? It takes the following force in pounds per square inch to obstruct the various anatomical structures: Jugular vein - 4 Carotid artery - 11 Trachea -34
The timeline 6. 8 seconds Loss of consciousness 15 seconds Bladder incontinence 30 seconds Bowel incontinence 2 -3 minutes Cell death 4 -5 minutes Brain death
- Slides: 21