Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the offence of coercive or controlling behaviour as set out in section 76 of the Serious Crime Act 2015 to include abuse in (a) cults and (b) sects.

Controlling or Coercive Behaviour within an intimate or family relationship was made a criminal offence under the Serious Crime Act 2015. The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 removed the requirement for the parties to be ‘living together’ for the offence to occur. The Government has no plans to extend these provisions beyond intimate and family relationships.

The government will continue to work with the police and criminal justice agencies to ensure the law is used to maximum effect and that the new guidance is effective in identifying, investigating and evidencing CCB.