I’m calling on the Victorian Government and the Attorney-General to urgently reform our laws and recognise that psychological abuse is real and devastating.

Background Story:

I thought I was dating a man for 5 years - Turns out. he was a serial cheater and a covert narcissist (much harder to identify). He isolated me, emotionally/psychologically abused me, gaslit, and manipulated me for years before I discovered the truth about this man. I initially thought I needed to work on myself, but all along it was him putting these ideas in my mind; however, it was a projection of his own defectiveness. I engaged in years of therapy while he told me I was crazy, I became so mentally and emotionally dysregulated that I believed that there was something fundamentally wrong with me. For the first time in my life I asked my Dr to prescribe me medication to help regulate my nervous system and manage my ongoing psychological effects of this relationship. I am in therapy in an attempt to rebuild myself and am taking active steps to heal.

Right now in Victoria:

Coercive control is not a crime even if it includes gaslighting, silent treatment, isolation, surveillance, emotional manipulation, or psychological intimidation.

Lying by omission strips away the other party's informed consent.
Sexual deception — such as lying about being single or misrepresenting intentions to gain consent is not recognised under our consent laws.
Reactive abuse and trauma bonding are misunderstood or dismissed, even though they're survival responses to prolonged psychological harm.
Predators can legally work in schools, hospitals, and community services without ever being held accountable for their emotional abuse.
This is a public health issue. It’s a justice issue. It’s a women’s safety issue.

 
What I’m Calling For:
Criminalisation of coercive control as seen in the UK, Ireland, and Scotland.
Expansion of consent laws to include sexual deception, as France and Israel have done.
Legal recognition of trauma bonding, gaslighting, and reactive abuse as valid forms of psychological harm.
Prohibition of predators with patterns of manipulation, control, and emotional abuse from working in roles of trust over vulnerable populations.
 
Women should not have to prove bruises to prove harm.
It’s time Victoria modernised the law because psychological abuse destroys lives too.

Call to Action 
Sign this petition to demand that the Victorian Government:

Introduces coercive control legislation
Updates our sexual consent laws
Recognises trauma bonding, deception, and emotional manipulation as forms of abuse
Let’s change the law for every woman who's ever been told, "That’s not abuse."

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I am thankful for all of you who have viewed and signed.