Manx charity welcomes new protections for abuse victims

Isle of Man police will be given more powers to protect victims

New protections for victims of domestic abuse on the Isle of Man have been welcomed as a "step in the right direction" by a Manx support charity.

The Domestic Abuse Act 2020 will come into force on Wednesday giving police powers to ban alleged attackers from victims' homes via protection notices.

Under the new laws, offences for physical, financial and mental abuse will also be created.

Victim Support said the changes made it a "legal duty" to protect victims.

However, plans to stop those facing charges from cross-examining victims in person in court have been delayed under the new laws.

The Department of Home Affairs previously said it hoped to introduce the change by the autumn of this year.

A spokeswoman for Victim Support said the charity welcomed the introduction of a legal definition of domestic abuse for the first time in Manx law.

The changes also recognise "all different types of domestic abuse that can occur within relationships, such as economic abuse, emotional abuse and coercive control," she added.

A surge in domestic abuse referrals was reported by the charity between January and February 2022, which was a 78% increase on 2021 figures.