What forms of emotional abuse are covered under the criminal code?
Emotional abuse is a pretty wide term. The criminal law doesn’t prohibit people from being rude, insulting and disrespectful to one another. The criminal law only enters when remarks become violent, threatening or they cause the complainant to fear for her or his safety. To use an example, the criminal law prohibits someone from uttering threats of death or bodily harm to another person. Threats could include, “you are making me so mad I am going to break your leg”, or “I am going to slit your throat”. If it is spoken with the intention of intimidating the recipient then it is a criminal offence, and the criminal court will punish the accused if it can be proven. Depending on the situation, an abuser may also be charged with Criminal Harassment, or “stalking”. If as a result of (usually repeated) communications, a person fears for her or his safety, then a charge of criminal harassment could be laid. In this case, there is a history to consider, and the very fact that communication is
