Which domestic violence offense involves unlawfully restraining someone's liberty?

• A. Battery
• B. Fraud
• C. False imprisonment
• D. Arson

Answer: (C)

Unlawful restraint of another person’s freedom of movement is false imprisonment. This offense centers on intentionally limiting someone’s ability to move or leave, without a legal justification. In domestic violence scenarios, that can look like locking someone in a room, blocking exits, or otherwise preventing them from leaving a place. The key element is the intentional confinement without lawful authority, not any physical harm.

Battery, by contrast, involves unwanted physical contact or harm, not the restriction of movement. Fraud is about deception for gain, and arson involves burning property. Those do not capture the act of restraining someone’s liberty, which is why false imprisonment is the correct concept here.