A PUBLIC education campaign will aid the success of a new law making psychological or emotional maltreatment a form of domestic abuse.

The Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act, which comes into force on April 1, has been hailed as "groundbreaking" in domestic abuse legislation.

It means perpetrators can be taken to court on a 'course of conduct' ­- a single charge where physical, psychological and coercive behaviour can be prosecuted together.

Criticism levelled at the new law complains it is too broad and the issue it tackles, coercive control, is not well enough understood by the public.

So far more than 1400 police officers and 500 prosecutors, including all advocate deputes, have been trained in the new legislation.

Anne Marie Hicks, National Procurator Fiscal for Domestic Abuse, said: "We recognise this is new and that there are complexities in the legislation, we are in new territory now.

"There’s going to be a big campaign to go along with the new law.

"I do think the public understands a lot about controlling behaviour because we hear examples, we see examples.

"The big difference here is that a lot of it isn’t criminal at the moment.

"I don’t think people would have a difficulty in saying ‘That [behaviour] is unacceptable by any standard.’

"That’s a message we’re really keen to get out, that the law is now able to tackle this behaviour and it is a crime."

Examples of the types of behaviours covered by the new legislation include behaviours that a "reasonable person" would find unacceptable, such as controlling controlling access to finances; stating when a woman might eat or go to the toilet; or restricting use of a car.

For the first time, the impact on children will also be taken into account.

Ms Hicks added: "[The legislation] provides another tool in the armoury of prosecutors to address this insidious behaviour.

"At the moment while we can prosecute sexual offences, violence, threats and abusive behaviour there’s a whole gap in the law of what we can prosecute: behaviours that strip people of their autonomy, their sense of freedom and ability to live their lives the way we would all seek to so I think that’s what’s so innovative about it is that it recognises that.

"It also has a statutory aggravation for offences involving children and I think that’s what’s so important because for the first time it’s recognising that domestic abuse doesn’t just affect the immediate victim.

"It has a massive effect, a really devastating one, on children who can experience it and the impact on their parent.

"So I think the new Act is really groundbreaking in recognising that impact on children."

The new is also expected to lead to a rise in the number of cases going to court, according to Lord Advocate The Rt Hon. James Wolffe, QC

Mr Wolffe added: "What’s really impressive is the work that’s been done across the whole system so when the Act comes in to force we’re as ready as we can be, both police and prosecutors.

"We know that the psychological harm that coercive control can have on a victim can be as significant or more significant than physical harm and this legislation will allow us, police and prosecutors, to protect victims and take action against perpetrators."

Ms Hicks praised the efforts of charities in supporting the development of the new legislation.

She said: "The importance of this legislation is that right from the start it has been very collaborative and it has recognised that although it is a law that criminal justice will enforce, it has to be informed by victims’ lived experiences so Scottish Women’s Aid, ASSIST, Rape Crisis, Victim Support Scotland, they have been really instrumental in giving the voice of the victim and making sure that it reflects lived experiences but also provides an effective tool for prosecutors to use to hold perpetrators to account.

"It’s an absolute essential in my view that you have that collaboration so we’re making sure the voice of the victim is at the heart of this."

Eradicating gender based violence has been set as a “key priority” for the Scottish Government.

Assistant Chief Constable Gillian MacDonald encouraged anyone affected by abuse to report it to police.

She said: "The new legislation is going to allow police to deal with aspects of abuse that we haven't been able to deal with through the criminal justice process previously.

"Behaviour that people have often suffered for many years that really the criminal justice system just hasn't been equipped to properly deal with and recognise."