'Sally's Law': How Coercive Control Finally Gets its Due Recognition

New legal reforms reshape the landscape of domestic homicide cases, providing a deeper understanding of the role of coercive control.

David and Sally Challen, Photo by Anna Gordon

Amongst the chaos of campaigning to quash my mother’s conviction for the murder of my father, I never for a moment imagined that laws would be changed to help give voice to women who kill their abusers. In fact, back in 2019 the only hope I would allow myself to dream or speak of was for the coercive controlling behaviour my mother experienced at the hands of my father be finally heard in a court of law. That was my sole focal point, beyond that I’d dared not hope or utter further.

This week however, four years on from helping recognise my mother’s abuse and subsequently freeing her after almost a decade in prison, the MoJ announced new sentencing reforms dubbed “Sally’s law” for abused women who kill their tormentors.

The changes to the law follow a review by Clare Wade, KC, who was defence barrister for Sally Challen, signify a seismic shift in the way we view domestic homicides. One of the most crucial aspects of the reform is the acknow…