 |
|
|
Husbands, Wives in France can be jailed for insulting eachother |
|
Posted 7/2/2010 at 11:09 AM by Bradlee A in Community Blog
Affiliate: PeaceJam HQ |
|
|
|
Under a new French law, couples who insult each other can now be fined or jailed. The law is intended to protect citizens from the effects of "psychological violence."
Henry Samuel, The Telegraph wrote:
The law – the first of its kind – means that partners who make such insults or threats of physical violence faces up to three years in prison and a €75,000 (£60,000) fine.
...
The bill, which has been unanimously approved by French MPs, defines mental violence as "repeated acts that could be constituted by words," including insults or repeated text messages that "degrade one's quality of life and cause a change to one's mental or physical state." |
Opponents of the law claim an insult is too vague and verbal abuse is too hard to prove. However, proponents of the law say
Henry Samuel, The Telegraph wrote:
Nadine Morano, the junior family minister, told the National Assembly that "we have introduced an important measure here, which recognises psychological violence, because it isn't just blows (that hurt), but also words."
Miss Morano said the primary abuse help line for French women got 90,000 calls a year, with 84 per cent concerning psychological violence. |
To read the article in full click here.
PeaceJam wants to know what you think about this new law. Will it help to protect those in abusive relationships or does it go too far? Is this an important step for the rights of women and children or is it too drastic?
For more information on PeaceJam's Global Call to Action issue Rights For Women and Children and Their Role As Leaders, click here. |
|
|