Home / Crime and Justice / Economic Abuse Kills: 1 Death Every 19 Days
Economic Abuse Kills: 1 Death Every 19 Days
5 Mar
Summary
- Economic abuse by a partner is linked to over half of domestic abuse deaths.
- A death due to economic abuse occurs every 19 days, charity reports.
- Agencies often fail to identify economic abuse risks, missing intervention opportunities.
Financial abuse by an intimate partner is a significant contributor to deaths related to domestic abuse, with a new report highlighting one such fatality occurring every 19 days. Analysis of 454 domestic abuse-related death reviews between 2012 and 2024 revealed that economic abuse was a factor in 231 cases, representing over half of the reviewed deaths. This form of abuse is particularly insidious as it ensnares victims, making escape from dangerous situations nearly impossible and continuing its impact even after a victim has left a perpetrator.
The report, "Hidden Risk, Fatal Consequences: Economic Abuse in Domestic Homicide Reviews," indicates that agencies responsible for identifying domestic abuse risks frequently miss crucial signs of financial control. Perpetrators employ tactics such as restricting access to funds and coercing partners into debt. Alarmingly, fewer than half of the panels reviewing domestic homicides recognized the economic abuse themselves. This gap suggests a substantial need for improved training and consistent approaches to ensure economic abuse is identified, understood, and effectively addressed by professionals to protect victims and prevent further tragedies.
