French Propose Legislating Psychological Abuse

RedTracker| Conservative French legislators are proposing new laws that outlaw psychological abuse in marriage. The bill, which is backed by President Nicholas Sarkozy’s ruling party, targets verbal and mental denigration, humiliation and manipulation that typically leads to physical abuse.

According to government statistics, about 10% of all women in France are victims of domestic mistreatment of some kind, and 80% of women who make calls to state-funded help lines complain of severe verbal abuse, compared to 77% who report physical violence.

Read more: In France, a Move to Outlaw Psychological Abuse in Marriage TIME