As a result, serious crimes of almost any sort are virtually unknown in the barast world. The exception is sexual crimes committed by a partner. Because the punishment for such crimes, such as spousal abuse, would include the castration of the complainant's own children, these crimes are unreported. While divorce for barast is generally a simple matter of deciding and declaring not to be with another person, those in such relationships find themselves trapped, as freeing their partner to seek a new mate opens the possibility that the new mate will report the violent activity.