At least one victim of economic abuse dies every three weeks, new data shows
New analysis of domestic abuse-related deaths has revealed that at least one victim of economic abuse is dying every three weeks, at the hands of a current or former partner.
Surviving Economic Abuse (SEA) said the stark findings should be a ‘wake-up call’ laying bare that this type of insidious abuse is ‘not just a money problem’.
Their analysis of more than 400 formal reviews of deaths across England and Wales revealed that 51% showed evidence of economic abuse by a current or former partner, with most victims female and perpetrators male.
It featured far more prominently in cases of suicides, illustrating the severe impact this form of coercive control can have on victims’ mental health.
Sam Smethers, chief executive of SEA, said: ‘This report should be a wake-up call. Economic abuse is not just a money problem – it is central to coercive control, and it kills.
‘Every three weeks, a victim dies because of an abuser who uses economic abuse as a tool for control. But the true toll is likely to be much higher.
‘These are not just statistics. Every year, we hear the names of women killed by men read out in parliament by minister Jess Phillips through the work of the Counting Dead Women project.
‘Some women are killed directly by abusers; others die by suicide, often linked to the perpetrators’ ongoing economic abuse and feeling there is no way out.
‘The evidence is clear: economic abuse is a serious risk factor for homicide and suicide.’
Across nearly 50 pages, the SEA report outlines the range of methods deployed by perpetrators of economic abuse in the stories of those women whose lives have been lost to it.
They include controlling a woman’s finances, forcing her to engage in sex with strangers for money, limiting their ability to work and thus removing their ability to be economically independent, burdening her with all the costs of running the household, freezing bank accounts and abusing the legal system.
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Frank Mullane, CEO of Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse (AAFDA), said: ‘More than 20 years ago, my own sister experienced this form of abuse, but we did not have the language to name it, nor a shared understanding of its impact.
‘As someone bereaved by double domestic murder, and as a former assessor of domestic homicide reviews, I have seen how easily economic abuse can be missed – and how agencies can, inadvertently, allow it to continue.’
Mr Mullane told Metro that the signs of economic abuse can be easily missed because it can initially appear to some as helpful ‘and its escalation is insidious’.
He said: ‘It can look like partners collaborating by dividing up tasks, as in you cook the food, I’ll handle the money.
‘Victims may not see it as abuse as some still perceive abuse as being physical violence – perhaps the older generation may be vulnerable because of their upbringing emphasising traditional roles of men managing money.
‘Economic abuse coupled with other forms of coercive control, like degradation and being made to feel less than or worthless, can cause victims to doubt their own perception and to feel shame making them more vulnerable.’
It heightens the risk of homicide or suicide by making it incredibly difficult for victims to leave the relationship or see a safe future beyond it without money to make a new start.
Mr Mullane added: ‘The victim may have been prevented from acquiring skills which would help them earn money.
‘If they were forced to take out loans which were defaulted on, their credit rating may deprive them of access to cash.
‘The combined effects of having no cash and no way of acquiring it can heighten the risk of suicide as some victims may feel a deep sense of hopelessness.
‘It can also increase the risk of homicide as victims are forced to stay with dangerous abusers whose violations escalate to committing murder.’
'Economic abuse is not just a financial threat – it's a means of exerting control'
Francesca Ferrier, Senior Economic Empowerment Partnership Manager at Refuge, said: ‘One in four women will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime, and cases of economic abuse are continuing to grow in both scale and complexity.
‘A previous study by Refuge and The Co-operative Bank found that nearly two in five UK adults (39%) – approximately 20 million people – have experienced economically abusive behaviour in a current or former relationship.
‘Despite being less well understood than other forms of abuse, the latest figures from Surviving Economic abuse confirm its devastating consequences. Economic abuse is not just a financial threat – it’s a means of exerting control.
‘By restricting access to money and resources, perpetrators can isolate victims and survivors, limiting their abilityto escape.
‘Economic abuse often occurs alongside other forms of abuse, following the same patterns of coercive control that are recognised as key risk factors for domestic homicide and suicide linked to domestic abuse.
‘Recognising the serious impact of economic abuse, and the way it operates within a wider pattern of abuse, is crucial to ensuring survivors can access the support they deserve.’
The report makes several recommendations, including integrating economic abuse into the government’s new guidance on best practice for domestic abuse risk management and multi-agency working.
It also recommends training frontline police officers on incorporating it within the assessment and management of VAWG (violence against women and girls) risk.
Others include Home Office guidance on how non-traditional stakeholders, including the financial services sector, should engage with DHRs.
Ms Smethers said: ‘We cannot wait for another woman’s life to be lost.
‘With the Government committed to halving violence against women and girls within a decade, all agencies must act urgently to identify economic abuse early, effectively support victims, and close the gaps that allow perpetrators to exploit their systems.
‘Only through coordinated and consistent action can we protect survivors and prevent further lives from being stolen.’
Mr Mullane added: ‘Ignorance allows abuse to flourish, and I hope professionals will use the recommendations to ensure increased recognition of economic abuse and better practice.
‘The call for Home Office guidance so that non-traditional stakeholders, including financial institutions, can engage with Domestic Homicide Reviews, is particularly crucial.
‘I wonder what my late sister and nephew and other victims of fatal domestic abuse would think of this report.
‘My hope is that it marks a turning point, that professionals recognise the huge and ruinous impact of economic abuse and take action to protect survivors and save lives.’
The Home Office has been contacted for comment.
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