Scottish police to be trained to spot new domestic abuse offence
Around 14,000 Police Scotland officers are to receive specialist training in preparation for a new domestic abuse crime coming into force in Scotland, which is believed to be unique in law internationally.
The training will help officers spot seemingly innocuous actions which are in fact part of a cycle of psychological abuse or coercive control.
Although an offence of coercive control was introduced in England in 2015, the Scottish legislation takes a unique approach which has been hailed as offering “victimless prosecution”. It reflects a growing understanding that domestic abuse is often a course of behaviour that extends over a period of time and includes not only physical violence.
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