Regarder votre langue

Psychological violence has joined physical violence as a criminal offence under French law applying to couples. Legislation passed by the National Assembly this week defines “mental violence” as “repeated acts that could be constituted by words,” including insults or repeated text messages that “degrade one’s quality of life and cause a change to one’s mental or physical state.” Insults or threats of physical violence can now be punished by sentences of up to three years in prison.