SINGAPORE, April 20 -- A family court in Singapore has set out how emotional and psychological abuse should be understood under newly expanded domestic violence laws, granting a personal protection order (PPO) to a woman who left her matrimonial home with her infant son after a series of escalating incidents with her husband.

The ruling, among the first under amendments to the Women's Charter that came into force in January 2025, shifts the legal focus firmly towards the harm suffered rather than the perpetrator's intent, marking a significant recalibration in how family violence is assessed.

In a written judgment, cited by Singapore-based media organisation CNA, Magistrate Allen Chong framed the issue starkly: "How should the law respo...