Domestic violence

Definition of Domestic Violence:

a) The Family Law prohibits all forms of violence between family members, regardless of gender and age. Domestic violence includes abuse, harassment, endangering of the safety, physical injury, sexual or other physical or psychological violence that causes a feeling of insecurity, threat or fear towards:- spouse, parents or children or other persons living in married or cohabitating or household; - a former spouse or persons who have child together or are in close personal relationships, including relationships created through adoption and guardianship;- brothers and sisters, half-brothers and sisters - older family members family or household; persons- family members or common household whose ability to work has been partially or completely revoked.

Under close personal relationships in terms of this law are personal relations between persons of different sex who are or have been in partnership, not living in cohabitation.

b) In the Criminal Law, domestic violence is defined as: bullying, rude insulting, threatening the safety, physical injury, sexual or other psychological or physical violence which causes feelings of insecurity, threat or fear toward a spouse, parent, child or other people living in married or extramarital or common household as well as toward former spouse or persons who have a mutual child or are involved in close personal relationships.