France to Make Insulting Your Spouse a Crime

Under a new law, France will become the first country in the world to ban "psychological violence" between married or cohabiting couples. The law applies to both men and women and covers such things as: repeated rude remarks about a partner's looks, false allegations of cheating, and threats of violence. French premier Francois Fillon said, "The creation of this offense will allow us to deal with the most insidious situations — situations that leave no visible scars, but which leave victims torn up inside."

Useless

[Locke2005]

Completely unenforceable, and every failed relationship is going to be seen as "psychological abuse".

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[querist]

Not only unenforceable, but difficult to prove. It is often hard enough to prove physical abuse. How to they intend to prove these charges? While I'm sure there are plenty of cases where reliable witnesses can be brought forth, I suspect this will become a "he said / she said" situation where it will ultimately depend on which side (plaintiff and attorney vs defendant and attorney) can convince the judge that their story is what really happened. I'm sure there are legitimate situations where this will trul

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[Rene S. Hollan]

What proof? The allegation is enough. If someone claims to have been "insulted" who is to say they don't feel that way? Crimes based on how someone "feels" are absurd, but increasingly common.

Because of the false belief that men are inherently violent (why does the image bolster this stereotype?), allegations of abuse often result in fathers denied access to their own children, and having to fight for years to prove the allegations false, with no consequences for the accuser. In the U.S. such cases are hear

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[Locke2005]

Further more, in 30% of cases it is the woman, not the man committing violence, and women do more damage because they are far more likely to enlist the use of a weapon (in African-Americans closer to 50% of the time it is the woman). As a man who has never been violent, of course I am offended by this notion that violence is something committed by men against women and children. Violence is something that people do to people -- it is never acceptable. Your first and best defense is the get the hell out of t

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[Rene S. Hollan]

Studies I've read suggest most domestic violence is mutual, followed by about equal numbers of unilateral violence against women by men, and men by women. The relationships MOST prone to violence are lesbian ones.

This goes against everything stemming from Steinem-era feminists who's mantra was that men must resort to violence to prop up a societal patriarchy. That's driven family legislation for decades: family courts are courts of equity where preponderance of evidence is the standard, and if a woman claim

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[Locke2005]

My fear is that when the tables turn, as they invariably will, and Steinem's lie is exposed, it will be twisted to argue that women have a propensity to lie and their testimony should never be believed without corroborating proof from a man. While such turnabout generalization might be fair play, it would not be justice. I think your fears are unwarranted. Our Sheriff's department appears to already be moving to a system where regardless of who calls them, they physically inspect both parties in a domestic

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[Rene S. Hollan]

Well, yes, but the laws are based on the presumption that men have a propensity toward violence, where the evidence suggests such a propensity is about equal between the genders. to prop up this lie, things like "fear" count as much as a broken arm.

So: he asks if dinner is ready, she gets mad and stabs him, is afraid he will retaliate and so she calls 911.

Cop sees him stabbed, and her claiming fear. Under the law, BOTH are equally abusive. Often (and I've seen it happen, though it was a toolbox bruising his

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[The Yuckinator]

Reasons # 23,463 - 23,466 why I plan to never marry and never have kids.

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[querist]

Rene, that is my point. "What proof?" It is easy enough for one party to lie about something like that. It's one thing to lie and claim that your spouse beat you, but then there would be signs of injury to back up your claims. Self-inflicted injuries can often be distinguished from non-self-inflicted injuries, so unless you have someone ELSE beat you and then claim your spouse did it, you'd have a hard time making a false accusation like that.

However, where there is no physical evidence of this verbal ab

Merde

[syousef]

Why not use existing laws? Verbal abuse, making a nuisance of yourself etc. should all be covered under existing laws that aren't specific to your partner. Just enforce them instead of dreaming up new ones to score stupid political brownie points.

totally worth it

[Anonymous Coward]

i think if you got to yell at them with a megaphone, it would be worth the arrest.

Repeated false accusations of cheating?

[NotBornYesterday]

Wait, this is the French we're talking about? Am I missing something? Isn't cheating their national sport or pastime or something? I would have figured that you'd be pretty safe accusing any of them of cheating.

(I kid, I kid ...)

Only False Accusations

[andersh]

You misunderstand the French, it's okay to cheat, but it's insulting to FALSELY accuse them of cheating! :) You don't accuse a man of being unable to cheat!

!liberty

[noz]

I thought the home was the last bastion of freedom from the government. Apparently not anymore!

Liberty? Wrong Culture

[andersh]

Did you notice that the article is about France? We Europeans have a different view of what liberty is and should be.

Your notions of "liberty" and "freedom from government" are *American* concepts, and they are certainly NOT universal!

Europeans in general have a more positive view of government and regulations, this is not just my opinion but the results of research

You call us "socialists", which is a half-lie at best, yet you don't understand how different we are from you, do you?

Godot

[andersh]

What is your problem?

I added a serious comment with relevant information about the cultural differences between the US and Europe, and you added an outrageously stupid reference to Nazis! You, sir, are an idiot.

Europeans in general don't view their government with hostility. That's a fact. So this law is viewed in a different light here, that might be news to some people in the USA, right?

While your own worthless post was neither factual or relevant. It says nothing about the sentiments that exist here in m

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[H0p313ss]

No mod points when you need 'em, well said.

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[Anne Honime]

You're misunderstanding the motto. But it should be read backward: liberty is the goal, equality is a mean to that end, and brotherhood is the precondition to achieve it. You can't feel someone else is your equal without thinking of him as a kind of brother; and you can't have freedom among people who don't view you as an equal. The relationship between those words is hierarchical, but to reach the top, you have to climb from a sane and steady base.