Irish Examiner View: Legal first on coercive control

Women’s Aid reported a 43% increase in calls between March and June this year, compared to 2019 figures, while calls to gardaí about domestic abuse and violence went up by 18%.

Yesterday’s conviction for coercive control at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, the first under the 2018 Domestic Violence Act, is a welcome step in the right direction.

It underlines the seriousness of coercive control, which can manifest as sexual, physical, emotional or financial abuse, and will hopefully encourage other victims to seek help.