Jennifers' Law (Connecticut)

Last updated

Jennifers' Law is a law in the U.S. state of Connecticut that expands the definition of domestic violence to include "coercive control". The law is named for two women, both victims of domestic violence: Jennifer Farber Dulos and Jennifer Magnano. [1]

Contents

Jennifer Dulos

Jennifer Dulos has been missing since May 24, 2019. [2] Dulos disappeared in the middle of divorce and child custody proceedings which included allegations of abusive behavior by her then-husband, Fotis Dulos. [3] This custody battle had been ongoing for two years and a hearing had been scheduled to take place concerning the safety of the couple's five children. [4] Fotis was later arrested for her murder but died by suicide, eight months after her disappearance, via carbon monoxide asphyxiation before a pretrial emergency bond hearing. [5]

Jennifer Magnano

Jennifer Magnano was fatally shot, in a murder-suicide by her estranged husband Scott, in front of their children on August 23, 2007. [6] Scott had been ordered to stay away from the house where Jennifer and their three children lived. [6] Similar to the Dulos case, this also occurred while the couple were in the midst of divorce and child custody disputes. [6] Magnano's (now adult) children helped push for the passage of the law named after her. [7]

History

The bill was originally introduced in the Covid-19-shortened 2020 session of the Connecticut General Assembly and was re-introduced in March of 2021 by state Sen. Alex Kasser (D-Greenwich). [1] A number of organizations and domestic abuse survivors, including Evan Rachel Wood, testified in favor of the bill and recounted their own experiences with the abuse of power and control by their domestic partners had affected them. [1] The bill was signed into law on June 28, 2021, by Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont. [2] Senator Kasser would later reveal that she was also a victim of the type of abuse that the law targeted. [8]

Provisions

The law expanded the state's definition of domestic violence to include coercive control, which was defined as: [9]

a pattern of behavior toward a person who is, or has been, an intimate partner or family or household member ... which causes fear or harm to such person or restricts such person's freedom of action.

Examples of behavior that the law identifies as coercive control include not merely physical violence or the threat of physical violence but also: [9]

According to Suzanne Adam, the executive director of the Domestic Violence Crisis Center of Stamford, Connecticut, the law also makes coercive control grounds for restraining orders and other protections in family relations matters brought to the Superior Courts and establishes grants for persons with low incomes applying for restraining orders. [10] It also makes a number of other changes that are intended to assist people who utilize the courts for protection against abusers. [11]

Related Research Articles

Amy's Law is an Ohio law that toughened requirements for granting bail or bond to persons accused of domestic assault in Ohio. The bill was sponsored by State Representative James Raussen (OH-28), It was signed into law by Governor Bob Taft on May 25, 2005, after domestic violence survivor Amy Rezos pushed for stronger penalties for domestic abusers in the state.

A familicide is a type of murder or murder-suicide in which an individual kills multiple close family members in quick succession, most often children, spouses, siblings, or parents. In half the cases, the killer lastly kills themselves in a murder-suicide. If only the parents are killed, the case may also be referred to as a parricide. Where all members of a family are killed, the crime may be referred to as family annihilation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Men's rights movement in India</span>

The men's rights movement in India is composed of various independent men's rights organisations in India. Proponents of the movement support the introduction of gender-neutral legislation and repeal of laws that they consider are biased against men.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Domestic violence</span> Abuse of members of the same household

Domestic violence is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. Domestic violence is often used as a synonym for intimate partner violence, which is committed by one of the people in an intimate relationship against the other person, and can take place in relationships or between former spouses or partners. In its broadest sense, domestic violence also involves violence against children, parents, or the elderly. It can assume multiple forms, including physical, verbal, emotional, economic, religious, reproductive, financial abuse, or sexual abuse. It can range from subtle, coercive forms to marital rape and other violent physical abuse, such as choking, beating, female genital mutilation, and acid throwing that may result in disfigurement or death, and includes the use of technology to harass, control, monitor, stalk or hack. Domestic murder includes stoning, bride burning, honor killing, and dowry death, which sometimes involves non-cohabitating family members. In 2015, the United Kingdom's Home Office widened the definition of domestic violence to include coercive control.

Sara Thornton is a British woman who was sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted of the 1989 murder of her violent and alcoholic husband, Malcolm Thornton. Thornton never denied the killing, but claimed it had been an accident during an argument. The prosecution at her trial argued that she had carried out the act for financial gain, and she was found guilty of murder.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to domestic violence:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Domestic violence in India</span>

Domestic violence in India includes any form of violence suffered by a person from a biological relative but typically is the violence suffered by a woman by male members of her family or relatives. Although Men also suffer Domestic violence, the law under IPC 498A specifically protects only women. Specifically only a woman can file a case of domestic violence. According to a National Family and Health Survey in 2005, total lifetime prevalence of domestic violence was 33.5% and 8.5% for sexual violence among women aged 15–49. A 2014 study in The Lancet reports that although the reported sexual violence rate in India is among the lowest in the world, the large population of India means that the violence affects 27.5 million women over their lifetimes. However, an opinion survey among experts carried out by the Thomson Reuters Foundation ranked India as the most dangerous country in the world for women.

Domestic violence in Pakistan is an endemic social and public health problem. According to a study carried out in 2009 by Human Rights Watch, it is estimated that between 10 and 20% of women in Pakistan have suffered some form of abuse. Women have reported attacks ranging from physical to psychological and sexual abuse from intimate partners. A survey carried out by the Thomson Reuters Foundation ranked Pakistan as the sixth most dangerous country for women while India ranked 1st as the most dangerous country for women. Given the very few women's shelters in the country, victims have limited ability to escape from violent situations.

Abusive power and control is behavior used by an abusive person to gain and/or maintain control over another person. Abusers are commonly motivated by devaluation, personal gain, personal gratification, psychological projection, or the enjoyment of exercising power and control. The victims of this behavior are often subject to psychological, physical, mental, sexual, or financial abuse.

Domestic violence is prominent in Nigeria as in other parts of Africa. There is a deep cultural belief in Nigeria that it is socially acceptable to hit a woman as a disciplinary measure. Cases of Domestic violence are on the high and show no signs of reduction in Nigeria, regardless of age, tribe, religion, or even social status. The CLEEN Foundation reports 1 in every 3 respondents identified themselves as a victim of domestic violence. The survey also found a nationwide increase in domestic violence in the past 3 years from 21% in 2011 to 30% in 2013. A CLEEN Foundation's 2012 National Crime and Safety Survey demonstrated that 31% of the national sample confessed to being victims of domestic violence.

Domestic violence within lesbian relationships is the pattern of violent and coercive behavior in a female same-sex relationship wherein a lesbian or other non-heterosexual woman seeks to control the thoughts, beliefs, or conduct of her female intimate partner. In the case of multiple forms of domestic partner abuse, it is also referred to as lesbian battering.

The dowry system in India refers to the durable goods, cash, and real or movable property that the bride's family gives to the groom, his parents and his relatives as a condition of the marriage. Dowry is called "दहेज" in Hindi and as جہیز in Urdu.

Domestic violence and abuse in the United Kingdom are a range of abusive behaviours that occur within relationships. Domestic violence or abuse can be physical, psychological, sexual, financial or emotional. In UK laws and legislation, the term "domestic abuse" is commonly used to encompass various forms of domestic violence. Some specific forms of domestic violence and abuse are criminal offences. Victims or those at risk of domestic abuse can also be provided with remedies and protection via civil law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susan Rubio</span> American politician (born 1970)

Susan Rubio is an American politician serving in the California State Senate. She represents the 22nd Senate District in eastern Los Angeles County and is a member of the Democratic Party. Prior to being elected to the California Legislature in 2018, she was an elected official for the City of Baldwin Park for 13 years and a public school teacher for 17 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abigail Boyd</span> Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council

Abigail Selina Boyd is an Australian politician living on the Central Coast in New South Wales. She has been a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council since 2019, representing the Greens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murder of Jennifer Dulos</span> 2019 murder in U.S. state of Connecticut

Jennifer Dulos was an American woman who went missing on May 24, 2019. Authorities believe that she was killed in an attack at her home in New Canaan, Connecticut, United States. Her ex-husband, Fotis Dulos, and his girlfriend, Michelle Troconis, were arrested on charges of tampering with evidence and hindering prosecution in connection with Jennifer's disappearance. Later, the two – along with Fotis's attorney Kent Mawhinney – faced additional charges related to Jennifer's murder.

On 19 February 2020, Rowan Baxter perpetrated a quadruple murder–suicide in Camp Hill, Queensland, Australia. Baxter fatally burned his 31-year-old estranged wife Hannah Clarke and their three children before dying by suicide at the scene. The murders sparked a national debate about domestic violence in Australia, after reports emerged that Baxter had a history of violence and alleged misogyny and had been subjected to a domestic violence order (DVO) as well as child custody orders as recently as the month of the murders.

Emma Katz is a UK-based domestic violence researcher. Katz has contributed to policy and popular cultural discussion on coercive control, in particular in the UK, the United States, and Australia.

Alexandra Veronica Kasser Mochary is an American politician, attorney and advocate who served as a member of the Connecticut State Senate for the 36th district from 2019 to 2021. Connecticut's 36th district covers Greenwich and parts of Stamford and New Canaan. She is a member of the Democratic Party and was the first Democrat to be elected to this seat since 1933.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Domestic Abuse Act 2021</span> United Kingdom legislation

The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 is an act of Parliament of the United Kingdom. The act included provisions necessary to ratify the Istanbul Convention. Much of the content within the act is still much debated. The act is intended to help tackle domestic violence in the United Kingdom, which has been referred to as a "silent epidemic." There have been numerous suggestions to address the act's protection of victims of domestic violence. The United Kingdom has also received criticism for taking eight years to carry out commitments following the Istanbul Convention.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Murdock, Zach (24 Mar 2021). "Survivors of domestic violence urge Connecticut lawmakers to pass reforms named for Jennifer Farber Dulos, Jennifer Magnano". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  2. 1 2 Agogliati, Mike (28 Jun 2021). "Lamont signs "Jennifer's Law" expanding domestic violence definition". WFSB News. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  3. ↑ Jacobo, Julia (30 May 2019). "Connecticut mother of 5 Jennifer Dulos missing amid custody battle with estranged husband". ABC News. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  4. ↑ Laguarda, Ignacio (29 May 2019). "Missing New Canaan woman involved in long custody dispute". CT Post. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  5. ↑ Fieldstadt, Elisha; Madani, Doha (31 Jan 2020). "Fotis Dulos, charged with killing his estranged wife, dies 2 days after suicide attempt". NBC News. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 Talit, Amy V. (25 Aug 2007). "Police investigate murder-suicide". Middletown Press. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  7. ↑ David Magnano, Emily Magnano, Jessica Rosenbeck (7 Jun 2021). Children of Woman Slain by Her Husband Fight for 'Jennifer's Law' in Connecticut (online video). Inside Edition. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  8. ↑ Pazniokas, Mark (22 Jun 2021). "Citing divorce fight, Alex Kasser resigns from the CT Senate". CT Mirror.
  9. 1 2 "An Act Concerning Court Proceedings Involving Allegations Of Coercive Control Occurring Between Family Or Household Members". Raised Bill No. No. 1060 of 2021 (PDF). Connecticut General Assembly.
  10. ↑ Adam, Suzanne (12 June 2021). "Opinion: 'Jennifer's Law' gives judges more power to halt domestic violence in CT". Stamford Advocate. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  11. ↑ Office of Legislative Research (19 May 2021). OLR Bill Analysis sSB 1091 (File 617, as amended by Senate "A") (PDF) (Report). Connecticut General Assembly. p. 1. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.