Many domestic violence accusations arise because the alleged victim shows signs of physical harm. For example, your partner goes to the police with a bruise or black eye that they say you caused.
Yet domestic violence covers a much broader definition than physical harm. While not all these things may convince the police to arrest you when taken alone, they could make it more likely a court will believe your accuser.
Sexual abuse
Even if you are married, you still have to get consent for sexual activity. If your partner claims you forced them to do things, it could help them build a domestic violence case.
Controlling behavior
Your partner tells a court that you constantly revised their text messages, put a tracker on their car, locked them in the house or forbade them from seeing certain people. Again it could help them to build a strong case.
Emotional abuse
Gaslighting has received a lot of publicity in recent years. It refers to someone trying to convince another that they are imagining things, making them doubt their sanity.
Other actions could include constant belittling, name-calling or verbal threats of harm to the person, their family, friends, pets or property. Following through on those threats would clearly also count.
Domestic violence accusations are not something to take lightly. If the police and court believe them, you could find your world turned upside down within hours. Getting legal help to challenge your accuser’s version of things will be crucial if you face accusations of domestic violence.
