NON-fatal strangulation and stalking should be made standalone offences in Jersey, a domestic-abuse campaigner who was shot by her husband has said.
Rachel Williams was in the Island on Thursday and yesterday to speak to Victoria College students and at two events organised by Freeda, formerly the Jersey Women’s Refuge, to mark International Women’s Day.
She described how her former partner, Darren Williams, had controlled her and been violent towards her.
For example, she said, in her job as a hairdresser, she was not allowed to cut men’s hair.
After she had filed for divorce, Mr Williams turned up at the salon where she worked and shot her. She later learnt that he had then taken his own life.
Their 16-year-old son later took his own life, too.
Ms Williams described how she was “shocked” to hear that stalking was not an offence in Jersey.
She added that after meeting Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham at the day’s events, she felt that there was a push for Jersey’s legislation on domestic abuse to be improved.
“I think we will see some good stuff coming out of Jersey,” she said.
“The minister seems very supportive.
“I was shocked that there is no stalking law here.”
Non-fatal strangulation was made a specific offence in England and Wales at the start of this year.
The offence is on track to be written into legislation in Jersey, after Home Affairs Minister Mary Le Hegarat told the States Assembly last month that she supported the recommendations of the Violence Against Women and Girls Taskforce.
“Research points to strangulation as the second most common way that women are killed,” Ms Williams said.
“This needs to be a standalone offence in Jersey – 100%.”
Ms Williams cited research that showed that it took just 6.8 seconds for strangulation to result in loss of consciousness.
Victims will have a seizure after, on average, 14 seconds, and lose control of their bladder after 15 seconds.
Deaths start happening after 62 seconds – and, even when the person is resuscitated, they could die in the following days because of internal bleeding, Ms Williams said.
To kill someone, “you only need the pressure of a handshake,” she added.
