Moral harassment within the couple
There are many causes of bullying in couples. A restriction at work, selfishness and the temporary deprivation of freedom awaken in some individuals a narcissistic pervert behavior. The stalker preys on a vulnerable and accessible person, i.e. his or her partner. What happens in the household when moral harassment causes trouble? A look back at a scourge that strikes a good majority of households.
How to recognize bullying in a couple?
Harassment takes the form of verbal aggression, belittling and the desire to deteriorate the victim’s living conditions.
The signs of mobbing can be seen anywhere: at work, at school, in the streets and especially within a couple.
The stalker takes on the role of a narcissistic pervert. According to the testimonies of the targets, moral harassment within the couple takes the form of insults, repeated mockery, reproaches and criticisms concerning the appearance of the spouse, that is to say approaches that border on psychological harassment. He also uses words to reach his target and does not hesitate to use physical violence.
His objective is to isolate his victim from his entourage and the rest of his family in order to gain better control. Then he exercises his power. He imposes a style of dress. He forbids access to household money. He intimidates his partner or threatens to commit suicide in case of separation.
Victim of moral harassment: hiring a lawyer?
The victim must mobilize her efforts to regain her self-confidence. Psychotherapy is the first solution to fight against these psychological attacks. Start a psychotherapeutic treatment in order to regain your self-esteem and regain moral stability. Ideally, invite your partner to accompany you to therapy. However, few Narcissistic Perverts are aware of their problem.
A more radical solution to moral harassment in a couple is to consider breaking up. Breaking upseems to be a utopia for financially dependent victims. Contact an association that helps victims or a stalking lawyer . They will provide you with the necessary advice and resources to resolve your situation.
Penalties incurred by the harasser
Filing a complaint of harassment is one way to deal with the problem. Evidence is required to support your claim in court. However, it is difficult to constitute. You can rely on certain material elements:
- messages on your answering machine;
- medical certificates confirming the physical consequences of domestic violence
- testimonies from relatives or neighbors confirming the moral harassment in the couple;
- correspondence of all kinds: aggressive text messages or emails, blackmail letters, threatening letters.
The Penal Code qualifies mobbing within a couple as a criminal offence because of the risk of mental and physical degradation of the victim. As a punishment for bullying in private life, the law provides for a sentence of 3 to 5 years imprisonment. The criminal will also be fined between $45,000 and $75,000. The amount is determined by the severity of the damage. For details, consult an attorney who specializes in domestic harassment.
Steps to take to file a complaint with a lawyer
The filing of a complaint with the police station or the public prosecutor is the first step in the procedure. The victim can also go to the Family Court (JAF) to request a protection order. She then fills out the CERFA form N° 15458*05. The document will be sent to the judicial court in the geographical area.
The protection order is a judicial measure to protect the victim and her children. Depending on the situation, the judge can take drastic decisions :
- severing contact between the victim and the abuser;
- prohibition of possession of a weapon;
- giving the family home to the victim
- modification or even withdrawal of parental authority from the harasser.
Failure to comply with the guidelines is punishable by 2 years imprisonment in addition to a $15,000 fine. The order is valid for 6 months. The duration can be extended according to the judge’s decision.
