Economic abuse plays a role in more than half of domestic abuse–related deaths but is routinely overlooked by the agencies, according to a new report.
Surviving Economic Abuse analysed 454 domestic homicide reviews (DHR) for its Hidden Risk, Fatal Consequences report.
It found that 51% (231 out 454) of abuse-related deaths between 2012 and 2024 featured evidence that the victim experienced economic abuse from a current or ex-partner.
The majority (90%) of the cases analysed involved at least one female victim, while 90% involved at least one male perpetrator.
Sam Smethers, CEO of Surviving Economic Abuse, 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 used economic abuse as part of their control. But the true toll of economic abuse is likely to be much higher.”
The report found that victims whose cases show clear signs of economic abuse by a partner were younger, with a mean age of 41, compared to a mean of 52 in cases which didn’t.
Analysis further identified how agencies repeatedly missed opportunities to spot risks linked to economic abuse and, in some cases, even facilitated the perpetrator’s economic control.
The report calls for Home Office guidance so that non-traditional stakeholders, including financial institutions, can engage with DHRs.
Frank Mullane, CEO of Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse, 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.
“Ignorance allows abuse to flourish, and I hope professionals will use the recommendations to ensure increased recognition of economic abuse and better practice.”
The report reveals how perpetrators used economic abuse to trap victims, including monitoring victims’ phones, controlling access to money, and coercing them into debt.
In one case, the perpetrator used legal processes to maintain control and initiate contact on the day they murdered the victim.
A lack of access to resources and ongoing economic abuse were found to be key factors in the reviews where a victim died by suicide.
Surviving Economic Abuse is calling for economic abuse to be recognised as a serious risk factor for homicide and suicide.
Hidden risks, fatal consequences: Economic abuse in Domestic Homicide Reviews
