French face jail for psychological abuse of partners | World news | guardian.co.uk

I love the French for putting in this law to stop verbal abuse. I think it will help change women's perception of how they "should" be treated. It won't stop partners from abusing or calling names or doing the subtle put down that erodes away the spirit of a person--only the target can stop that when they stop allowing themselves to be mistreated. but what the law will do is let people know that it is NOT OK to be treated like that--I fear the unintended consequence might be that women will abdicate their responsibility to stop letting people disrespect them and give their power to the state rather then themselves--but lets see--

French face jail for psychological abuse of partners | World news | guardian.co.uk: "French MPs have voted unanimously to make "psychological violence" within a couple an offence punishable by up to three years in prison as part of new measures aimed at improving protection for victims of domestic abuse.

Politicians from the left and right supported the passing of a law which singles out "repeated" verbal actions intended to hurt the victim's rights and dignity or their physical or mental health. As well as a jail sentence, offenders could be ordered to pay a fine of up to €75,000 (£66,600).

Supporters of the law claim an estimated 8% of women in France are psychologically abused by their partner. Chantal Brunel, a member of Nicolas Sarkozy's majority Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) party, described it as "a preventive measure as psychological violence always precedes [physical] blows"."

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