Ep #363 The 530-Day Trap: Coercive Control, Strangulation, and the Fight for Paris’s Law with Paris Shears, Part 2

Imagine waiting 530 days waiting for the trial of the man who groomed, controlled, strangled and assaulted you only to walk into court on day one and be told there would be no trial. Behind closed doors a plea deal was negotiated dramatically altering the outcome of the case, resulting in Robert Hastings walking free – no prison time.

Strangulation and coercive control are high risk behaviours correlating significantly with serious harm and femicide – yet far too often abusers are rarely charged. This case was rare because it did and yet there was still no justice.

Listen as Laura and Paris explore Paris’s own experience, including how her children were targeted, how perpetrators exploit systems to maintain power and control long after a relationship has ended, and why recognising these behaviours is critical to preventing serious harm and homicide.

Paris also shares how surviving abuse has transformed her into an advocate for change through Paris's Law, her campaign to reform the criminal justice system so that victims are no longer re-traumatised by late guilty pleas in domestic abuse cases.

In this episode Laura and Paris discuss:

Why non-fatal strangulation is one of the strongest predictors of femicide;

The 530-day wait for trial and the impact of late guilty pleas on victims;

Image management and how perpetrators present themselves to others;

Grooming, manipulation and behavioural patterns used to establish power and control;

Stalking and post-separation abuse as continuing patterns of coercive control;

Why high-risk behaviours must never be viewed in isolation;

The emotional toll of navigating the criminal justice system;

Paris's Law and why legislative reform is urgently needed.

Ep #363 The 530-Day Trap: Coercive Control, Strangulation, and the Fight for Paris’s Law with Paris Shears, Part 2