The family of murdered hairdresser, Hollie Gazzard, have welcomed a new law which aims to better police "controlling and coercive behaviour” perpetrated against a person at the hands of a partner.
According to the Western Daily Press, Nick Gazzard, who fought to have photos of his daughter’s murderer removed from her Facebook page following her untimely death in February 2014, says he wholly supports the legislation.
Nick, whose 20-year-old daughter was murdered by her ex-boyfriend Asher Maslin in her place of work, insists the legislation works to protect those vulnerable to psychological and emotional abuse in addition to physical violence.
In the run-up to his daughter’s second anniversary, Nick explains why this form of legislation is so important saying: “In abusive relationships it is not always about physical violence. There are lots of ways people are abused and having power over them is a big part of it.”
Reflecting on the life his daughter led with her former partner, Nick revealed: “The relationship Hollie had was never really physical but a controlling one. He wanted control over her finances, her social life, what she wore and over her psychologically."
With approximately 30% of women and 16% of men having experienced domestic abuse in their lifetime, this legislation will seek to protect those suffering at the hands of a current or former partner.
Since Holly’s death, her devastated, but determined family have established the Hollie Gazzard Trust in an effort to educate the public on the far-reaching implications of domestic abuse.
