Expert In Policing Coercive Control And Domestic Abuse Professor Evan Stark Comes To Gwent

This morning we welcomed the world-renowned Professor Evan Stark to Gwent. Professor Stark is the leading global expert on coercive control in the context of domestic violence and abuse. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Professor Stark is an award-winning international researcher, whose work has played a key role in redefining domestic abuse across the world. Stark also worked on advising the UK Government when passing the legislation to make coercive control a criminal offence under the Serious Crime Act 2015. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Coercive control is a pattern of behaviour that exerts power and control over another. The abuse is complex and can include behavioural patterns such as controlling finances, depriving their partner of their basic needs as well as isolating them from their family and friends. The abuse includes not only face-to-face contact but also control via the phone, over emails and social media. Coercive control can have a devastating and damaging impact on the lives of the victims and strips them of their basic human rights. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

More than one hundred of our officers were given the rare opportunity to attend the seminar to help them devise new ways of policing domestic abuse and coercive control. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Professor Stark used real life case studies to review the legislation and describe the problems which arise when there is a narrow focus on violence along with the detrimental and sometimes fatal consequences. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The audience then heard from a domestic abuse survivor who talked about the impact coercive controlling behaviour had on her life. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Catrin Evans from the Crown Prosecution Service in Wales also gave officers a useful insight into the challenges officers could be faced with when prosecuting against this behaviour. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

There were a few other familiar faces in the crowd including our Assistant Chief Constable Emma Ackland, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Eleri Thomas and the Chief Executive of our partners Welsh Woman’s Aid, Eleri Butler. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​