Ex-Wiltshire detective hails new coercive control laws as step forward
Paul Franklin helped catch Emile Cilliers - who attempted to kill his wife during a skydive after months of controlling their relationship
A former Wiltshire Police detective says putting coercive control on a par with other forms of abuse is a welcome move.
New laws have come into force this week, which will see offenders face tougher management, under the watch of multiple agencies, including the police and probation service.
Paul Franklin led the case into Emile Cilliers, who attempted to murder his wife, Victoria, by tampering with her parachute ahead of skydive in Netheravon in 2015.
During the investigation, Paul and his team uncovered months of coercive control by Cilliers, leading to his eventual jailing in 2018.
The former Army Sargeant was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 18 years.
Paul welcomed new law, saying it's a step forward: "Coercive control is a very sort of under the radar type crime. It's the way it's done. It's very surreptitious."
He said having those convicted of it subject to stronger oversight through multi-agency public protection arrangements (mappa) is crucial to breaking the cycle of abuse.
"It's not something really you should do and forgets because these people don't change and it's it may be the partner that changes, but their behaviour doesn't," Paul said.
He told Greatest Hits Radio that while there's no 'overnight magic bullet' to solving domestic abuse, this new law can work alongside others, including Clare's Law, which allows people to ask or be told if their partner has a history of violence, in order to keep people safe.
'Extreme' case displays true dangers of coercive control
Paul told us the Emile Cilliers case was an 'extreme' example, but the case they built, displayed the 'self-serving' nature of the man they were dealing with.
Before the parachute tampering, the ex-Sargeant had attempted to kill Victoria by creating a gas leak in their Amesbury home.
He'd also cultivated a lifestyle where he used the families finances to fulfil his own sexual desires with other women.
He said Cilliers had exerted his control over an extended period of time, saying coercive control is 'drip-fed' into a relationship.
"The victim can't see the journey you're on until you actually sit down on someone points out to you. And it's very hard to come to terms with," Paul said.
He added that he's spoken to Victoria since the trial and revealed it's taken her a long time to comprehend what she went through.
Paul described the crime as 'horrible' and 'insidious', adding that this example showed what the crime can escalate to, but he's hopeful the new laws will help others to find safety.
He said: "It's one we've not had legislation to tackle. It's always been there, but now it's being recognise and the more we speak about it and more publicity around there around it, I think people can actually look at themselves in their own life and they may then reach out for help."