In a debate article in Aftonbladet, the Tidö parties write that it is significantly more common to be exposed to psychological violence than physical violence in a close relationship, particularly among young people.
"We know from experience that psychological violence of various kinds often precedes physical violence, says Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer (M) in a written comment to TT.
Intervene earlier
One goal is to prevent more serious physical violence by being able to intervene earlier against psychological violence in the form of serious verbal abuse and various forms of controlling behavior.
The proposed legislation, which is now being circulated for comment, involves introducing a special criminal provision for psychological violence into the Penal Code. It targets repeated forms of psychological violence in the form of insults, coercion, or surveillance.
The violations shall collectively be such as to typically cause serious damage to the victim's self-esteem. The penalty is proposed to be imprisonment for up to four years.
Coercion regarding religious attire
The new offense is also expected to cover situations where someone is coerced or threatened into "converting" their sexual orientation, as well as coercion to wear a veil or other religious attire, writes the Tidö parties' representative in the debate article.
A criminalization of psychological violence was investigated a few years ago. However, the investigation's proposal received criticism from the judiciary for being unclear and unpredictable. But the Ministry of Justice has reworked the proposal.
"It will be clearer in the legislation what violations the perpetrator must have been guilty of. At the same time, we have clarified that it should also include threats and not just various forms of insults," says Strömmer to TT.
The goal is for the law to be in place by June 1, 2026.
