Debt trapping people in abusive relationships, says Wiltshire charity
Perpetrators can act in a number of ways to control money
Debts built up in an perpetrators of abuse are trapping people in unhealthy relationships, a Wiltshire-based abuse charity has told us.
FearFree have told Greatest Hits Radio money control is a big factor in abusive relationships, with 'the vast majority' of cases featuring some kind of financial abuse.
This week, 18th to 24th March, a spotlight is being shone on the impacts of debts across the UK, as part of a national debt awareness week.
FearFree's Head of Service, Gemma Vinton, told us a perpetrator can dictate a victim's financial independence in a number of ways.
These include control everything that's spent, running up debt in someone else's name and taking money out of bank accounts.
"You've also got, you know, some of those dynamics around, if the perpetrator is making it really challenging for the victim to work," Gemma said, "perhaps it's sabotaging their work arrangements, making them constantly late or telling them that they can't work because of having to look after children.
"So it can be quite a complicated and multidimensional part to a domestic abuse relationship."
It's causing some people to become trapped in unhealthy relationships.
"People can really find themselves stuck," Gemma said, adding, "If leaving that relationship is going to leave you with fundamental problems in terms of, where you're going to live, what you're going to be able to eat, how you're going to clothe your children, then clearly that's a massive, massive issue."
Gemma told us about one client the charity had worked with.
"The perpetrator made her give up a job and they co-own the house. So she can't afford to leave, but he refuses to sell and she's been unemployed for quite a long time without her own funds."
However, the charity were able to help the client regain control of her finances.
"One of the things we did was we supported her, alongside some other agencies, just to start work again to be able to build that confidence around independent finances and have some independence, so that in the future she may well be empowered to leave."
Gemma said FearFree will help people find what ever they need be empowered to take control of their life.
"We've supported clients in understanding financial management and you know what, what the bank accounts look like because actually that's all previously done by a perpetrator."
The charity will also support people with things like food vouchers, toiletries, local partners to find furniture and even the costs of moving home.