A BRAVE mum who had her 'bones snapped' during a decade of horrific domestic abuse says emotional torment is 'just as painful'.

Sarah Jane Creecy McDonald hailed new laws which hold perpetrators accountable for emotional abuse as ‘a long time coming’ after branding her experience ‘soul destroying’.

The 41-year-old from Ayrshire was left ‘surprised she is even still alive’ after suffering at the hands and worsd of her ex boyfriends.

She was assaulted, had her bones broken, her children attacked, and constantly told she would never be good enough.

Now she is applauding new laws the groundbreaking legislation which will criminalise psychological domestic abuse and coercive and controlling behaviour.

Sarah Jane told the Chronicle she wishes the law had been introduced years ago and thinks it will make a massive difference to victims.

Cumnock Chronicle:

 Sarah Jane said: “Sometimes I would honestly rather a slap than the mental abuse.

“They tell you that you are thick and stupid and it means you can’t think for yourself and start to believe it.

“That kind of stuff sticks in your head. It really does. The things he would say to me made me feel so awful.

“He was so controlling as well, one time after a night out with friends he forced me to let him check my underwear. There was a lot of jealousy issues.

“These kind of laws would really have helped me if they were out when I was suffering.

"They will make other people come forward and realise they are being abused, both men and woman.

“I really think this is a tremendous move forward, I hope it makes others realise they don’t have to put up with abuse.

“Emotional abuse needs to be taken just as seriously as physical abuse. No kind of abuse is ever acceptable.”

The Domestic Abuse Act is the only UK legislation with a specific statutory sentencing aggravation to reflect the harm that can be caused to children growing up in an environment where domestic abuse takes place.

Cumnock Chronicle:

The Act also requires courts to consider imposing a Non-Harassment Order on an offender convicted of a domestic abuse offence to protect their victim from further abuse and makes a number of other reforms to criminal procedure to protect victims.

Chief Executive of Scottish Women’s Aid, Dr Marsha Scott, said: “At Scottish Women’s Aid we think this new law has the power to transform Scotland.

“Coercive and controlling behaviours—forms of psychological and emotional violence that women and children have told us for years are the most traumatic—are now a crime in Scotland.”