Survivors' rights activists say that abusers use the courts to harass and exert control over their former partners. Some states have sought to pass laws curbing the practice. But the lines are tricky to draw, as they pit concerns about weaponizing litigation against due process rights.
The new law, which has been in the books since Oct. 1, is a beacon of hope, but it comes concerns and anxiety from some on how it will be interpreted and applied.
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Dan Cargill, director of Law Enforcement Services for Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence says beginning on Thursday any offender who violates a restraining or protective order will face an additional family violence crime charge.
“It’s a benefit to be able to track through a judicial process of what the offender is actually doing and tying it all with the family violence,” Cargill said.
Coercive control will also become a factor for judges to consider when reviewing restraining order applications. It’s defined in part as controlling, regulating or monitoring a household or family member’s movements, communications, daily behavior and economic necessities or isolating them from family or loved ones.