In Today’s Friday Read, we will look at the meaning of “Domestic Violence” in the Domestic Violence Act, 2007 ACT 732 (“the Act”). This is part I of the domestic violence Series.
The Act provides a framework in regards to the protection from domestic violence particularly for women and children, it does not however mean that Men are excluded.
Domestic Violence is considered under two main categories under the Act:
Physical abuse which is defined to include:
physical abuse, namely physical assault or use of physical force against another person including the forcible confinement or detention of another person and the deprivation of another person of access to adequate food, water, clothing, shelter, rest, or subjecting another person to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Thus, physical abuse is anything associated with physical abuse, or any specific act/s that could result in harming an individual.
Emotional abuse which includes:
(iv) emotional, verbal or psychological abuse namely any conduct that makes another person feel constantly unhappy, miserable, humiliated, ridiculed, afraid, jittery or depressed or to feel inadequate or worthless;
It is therefore worthy to note that verbal abuse such as name calling, condescension, degradation, manipulation, blame and etc can also be considered as domestic violence.
A person who contravenes this section is punishable by criminal proceedings.