The NGO has released a report on domestic violence in which it highlighted, among other things, the prevalence of psychological abuse based on data it collected over two years.
The case study report, titled “Perspectives on Domestic Violence” was released in conjunction with International Women’s Day today.
According to the United States Department of Justice, psychological abuse includes causing fear by intimidation, threats of violence, destruction of property and forcing isolation on a person.
The WAO report highlighted that 93% of domestic violence survivors who sought shelter with WAO in 2015 and 2016 reported they had suffered from psychological abuse.
It also emphasised that there may be many women who experience severe psychological abuse without experiencing physical abuse.
“These women may never seek help because they do not realise that they can file a police report or seek medical attention for psychological harm, and may not think that this form of abuse warrants leaving their perpetrator.
“On some occasions, women who seek assistance from the police are told that nothing can be done since they do not have physical injuries,” said the report.
It pointed out however that amendments made to the Domestic Violence Act in 2012 expanded the definition of domestic violence to include “causing psychological abuse which includes emotional injury to the victim.”
WAO noted that those suffering from psychological abuse even without physical abuse can lodge a police report and obtain an Interim Protection Order.
The victim should also be referred to the Welfare Department so that she can be taken for a mental state assessment.
The report also noted the challenges in seeking redress for psychological abuse. These include producing evidence of an abuse, especially in cases where there is no physical abuse and where psychological distress can be used against a mother in a custody battle.
According to an official with the Kuala Lumpur Hospital’s Emergency and Trauma Department, some 4,000 domestic abuse cases, including incidences of physical abuse, rape and child abuse, were recorded in Malaysia between January and October last year.