New data is raising questions about the effectiveness of NSW’s latest coercive control law, with hundreds of incidents recorded but only a handful of charges laid.
A report published in March by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOSCAR) detailed coercive control incidents recorded by police between July 2024 and December 2025.
It is first dataset released since the offence was criminalised.
Over 17 months, police recorded 473 incidents, but only 22 led to charges – and just one resulted in a successful prosecution, marking a landmark conviction.
Introduced on July 1 2024, the new offence criminalises repeated patterns of behaviour used to control or intimidate an intimate partner.
University of Wollongong criminology lecturer, Dr Laura Vidal said the law marks a significant shift in how domestic violence is understood.
“It provides the recognition of violence beyond a single incident… that it can be something that is invisible and something that is sustained,” Dr Vidal said.
Unlike other offences, a single coercive control “incident” refers to a pattern of behaviour over time, not a one-off event.
Each incident involved an average of four different controlling behaviours, most commonly harassment, threats, and financial abuse.
Dr Vidal said the gap between incidents and charges laid reflects the complexity of proving coercive control in court.
“You’ve got the need to prove a pattern of violence, and there is kind of invisible evidence about what has occurred over time,” she said.
Illawarra Women’s Health Centre CEO Elise Phillips said the sector anticipated a slow start.
“The rates are no surprise to us – we always knew it would take time for the justice system to work out how to effectively use the new legislation,” Ms Phillips said.
“Police are being mindful that whatever cases they take to court now create case law and set precedents for the future and so they’re wanting to do it well and get it right.”
She also emphasised the impact legal processes can have on victim-survivors.
“Usually it involves a court case, it involves them being interrogated by a defence lawyer, and it causes more trauma to people who have already experienced significant harm and trauma,” Ms Philips said.
“We don’t want women going through this traumatic process unless there is a good chance of a conviction.”
While this cautious approach may protect victim-survivors from unnecessary legal harm, delays in the system can still carry serious risks.
Both experts say a broader approach is needed – including prevention, early intervention, and support services.
The BOCSAR report is based on incidents recorded by NSW Police and reflects cases reported to and identified by officers.
Additionally, as the law was only introduced in July 2024, the figures represent its early implementation.
Ultimately, the data shows that while coercive control is being increasingly recognised, translating that recognition into legal outcomes remains a challenge.
