Domestic violence

• In the 19th century, crimes the violence of a man towards his wife was seen as personal business. This attitude changed as women got the vote after WW1, and women campaigned for equal rights in the 1960s.
• The Domestic Violence Act 1976 gave victims the right to ask for an injunction against a violent partner.
• In 1991 the courts ruled that it was possible to prosecute a man for rape within marriage.
• In 2014, controlling and coercive behaviour towards a partner was made a crime.
• Despite this, it is the still the case that two women a week in the UK are killed by their current or former partner.