Domestic abuse

Domestic violence is the abuse of power in a close relationship, which can include many things like physical or sexual violence and psychological or financial controlling behavior.

It can affect anyone regardless of his or her class, nationality, religion, gender or age. It can impact adults in all different types of relationships and can also involve violence between partners and their children.

The family courts can make orders called injunctions to stop abusive behavior and protect you or your children. There are two different sorts of injunction orders:

• An occupation order, which requires the abuser to leave your home (or part of it) or keep away from your home, or to allow you to occupy your home without being threatened, harassed or assaulted. When the court makes an occupation order it can include a power of arrest which enables the police to arrest the abuser if they break the terms of the order.

• A non molestation order, which orders a person to stop actual physical assaults or other sorts of intimidating and upsetting behavior. Breach of a non-molestation order is a criminal offence.