DoctorFinger
06-30-2010, 05:21 PM
Oh those wacky Frenchmen (http://news.scotsman.com/world/France-rules-psychological-violence-is.6390769.jp)...FRANCE's parliament has approved a groundbreaking law that makes psychological violence an offence as part of a broader range of measures aimed at boosting protection for victims of domestic abuse.
Magistrates have criticised the bill, fearing it will be hard to define what exactly constitutes such mental abuse and say it will be very difficult to prove in court.
The law was proposed by members of parliament from both the ruling majority and the left-wing opposition and won the backing of the centre-right government.
"We have introduced an important measure here, which recognises psychological violence, because it isn't just blows (that hurt) but also words," Nadine Morano, the minister for family affairs, told the lower house of parliament yesterday.
Anyone found guilty of breaking the new law faces up to three years in jail and a €75,000 fine.
The bill defines mental violence as "repeated acts which could be constituted by words or other machinations, to degrade one's quality of life and cause a change to one's mental or physical state".
Ms Morano said witnesses could be called on to testify in such cases, and doctors' certificates detailing their patients' descent into nervous depression could also be used as evidence.
"The judge could (also) take into consideration letters, SMSs or repetitive messages, because one knows that psychological violence is made up of insults," she added.
The law can be used to protect both women and men who might suffer from such abuse, however parliamentarians have acknowledged that women are the main victims of domestic violence.I put this in the same category as all of those anti-bullying propositions in the past year: the intent is noble and the goal laudable, but it's using TNT to kill a bug.
The definition of "mental violence" (personal gripe: violence is by definition physical. Unless the attack is perpetrated by Professor X or Matt Parkman, mental acts can't be violent) is particularly scary.The bill defines mental violence as "repeated acts which could be constituted by words or other machinations, to degrade one's quality of life and cause a change to one's mental or physical state".I know the intent of the bill is to save people from mentally abusive relationships and bullying, but by that definition a woman who repeatedly refuses to go out with me could be guilty of a felony. Her refusals lower my self esteem, make me depressed, blue balls, etc. Hell, and employer who refuses to give me the job of my choosing could be found guilty under this proposal.
Magistrates have criticised the bill, fearing it will be hard to define what exactly constitutes such mental abuse and say it will be very difficult to prove in court.
The law was proposed by members of parliament from both the ruling majority and the left-wing opposition and won the backing of the centre-right government.
"We have introduced an important measure here, which recognises psychological violence, because it isn't just blows (that hurt) but also words," Nadine Morano, the minister for family affairs, told the lower house of parliament yesterday.
Anyone found guilty of breaking the new law faces up to three years in jail and a €75,000 fine.
The bill defines mental violence as "repeated acts which could be constituted by words or other machinations, to degrade one's quality of life and cause a change to one's mental or physical state".
Ms Morano said witnesses could be called on to testify in such cases, and doctors' certificates detailing their patients' descent into nervous depression could also be used as evidence.
"The judge could (also) take into consideration letters, SMSs or repetitive messages, because one knows that psychological violence is made up of insults," she added.
The law can be used to protect both women and men who might suffer from such abuse, however parliamentarians have acknowledged that women are the main victims of domestic violence.I put this in the same category as all of those anti-bullying propositions in the past year: the intent is noble and the goal laudable, but it's using TNT to kill a bug.
The definition of "mental violence" (personal gripe: violence is by definition physical. Unless the attack is perpetrated by Professor X or Matt Parkman, mental acts can't be violent) is particularly scary.The bill defines mental violence as "repeated acts which could be constituted by words or other machinations, to degrade one's quality of life and cause a change to one's mental or physical state".I know the intent of the bill is to save people from mentally abusive relationships and bullying, but by that definition a woman who repeatedly refuses to go out with me could be guilty of a felony. Her refusals lower my self esteem, make me depressed, blue balls, etc. Hell, and employer who refuses to give me the job of my choosing could be found guilty under this proposal.