The Centre for Women’s Justice (CWJ) has published new research revealing how the criminal justice system too often “does the perpetrator’s job for him”; thus punishing women who have already been subjected to coercive control and abuse.

The report shares the experiences of seven women, each criminalised as a direct result of their abusers’ actions. Their stories illustrate a system that fails to recognise coercive control, leaving victims prosecuted, stigmatised, and retraumatised when they should have been protected.

The CWJ calls for urgent reform, including a legal defence for victims coerced into offending and a joint police–CPS protocol to ensure evidence of coercive control is properly gathered and considered.

As Harriet Wistrich, CWJ’s CEO, warns: “It is shocking that limited resources are used to prosecute such victims. A more informed and intelligent approach is urgently needed.”

Read the full CWJ report, including seven women’s accounts and recommendations, here.