ACT committee hears single victim-survivor on proposed coercive control offence

In May, the ACT government tabled the Crimes (Coercive Control) Amendment Bill 2026, which would criminalise patterns of psychological abuse as a distinct offence, mirroring reforms in other Australian jurisdictions. A Legislative Assembly committee examined the proposal over a single day, gathering written input from groups such as Legal Aid ACT, Domestic Violence Crisis Service, Our Watch and ACT Policing. Only one victim-survivor, using the pseudonym Stephanie, testified about her two-decade relationship marked by emotional, financial and physical control, and raised concerns about a defence clause that could deem certain conduct reasonable.

She cited an example where a health-service counsellor advised her husband to take her car keys for “safety,” effectively removing her escape route. The committee acknowledged the difficulty of securing victim-survivor evidence in public hearings and will report its recommendations to the Assembly next week.