Paula Werme

I am an almost retired family law attorney from NH who has witnessed the treatment of DV victims in the context of custody cases. As a result of this, I have spent years studying DV and its intersection with family law. I am not testifying in person because I no longer spend my winters in NH I am against this bill. The NH AG's office defined domestic violence as follows: "Domestic violence, also known as “domestic abuse” and “intimate partner violence,” is the establishment of coercive control and fear in a relationship through the use of violence and/or other forms of abuse. The batterer may use physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, economic oppression, isolation, threats, intimidation, and child abuse and/or neglect of children to control his intimate or former intimate partner. Domestic violence may differ in terms of the severity of abuse, but gaining and maintaining control is the primary goal of batterers. Domestic violence occurs in heterosexual, gay and lesbian intimate relationships, all ethnic and racial groups, and among all socio-economic and educational levels. Tactics used by batterers to establish and maintain power and control over their partners can include making and carrying out threats; pet abuse; destroying property; name-calling; controlling all finances; limiting partner’s outside involvement, including interaction with family and friends; using the children; and shifting responsibility for abusive behavior." Please keep in mind that the core of DV is coercive control - the physical manifestations of DV truly are secondary to coercive control. This bill would make felons of protective parents, particularly. the 85% of litigants who are women, simply trying to protect their children from abuse. The judicial branch has made clear that "Parental rights" are far more important than protecting women and children from DV. The legislature needs to step up and redefine DV to comport with the AG's definition before passing a bill like this.