Guidance

Controlling or coercive behaviour statutory guidance framework: BSL resources

Controlling or coercive behaviour statutory guidance framework in British Sign Language (BSL).

Applies to England and Wales

Documents

Contents

Executive summary

Section 1 - purpose of this guidance

Section 2 – criminal justice response

Section 3 – the defence

Section 4 – criminal penalties and protection orders

Section 5 – multi-agency response, domestic abuse services

Section 6 – post-separation abuse

Annex A – related considerations

Annex B – the offence of controlling or coercive behaviour

Annex C – provisions within the Domestic Abuse Act 2021

Annex E - examples of reasons for retractions and withdrawals by complainants

Annex F - existing offences that may apply in domestic abuse cases

Annex G - support available for victims

Annex H - glossary of acronyms

Details

You can find alternative formats of the statutory guidance framework on the main statutory guidance framework page.

This statutory guidance is issued under section 77 of the Serious Crime Act 2015 (the 2015 Act). Any persons or agency investigating offences in relation to controlling or coercive behaviour under section 76 of the 2015 Act must have regard to it.

It also provides information on:

  • supporting the victim and their family, and reducing the risk of harm to them
  • managing the perpetrator

It’s primarily aimed at statutory and non-statutory bodies working with victims, perpetrators and commissioning services, including:

  • the police
  • criminal justice agencies
  • other agencies

Updates to this page

Published 27 July 2023

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