Campaigners say it's time financial abuse was outlawed. Photo / NZME
Campaigners say it's time financial abuse was outlawed. Photo / NZME
Campaigners against domestic violence say a law change is needed now to end financial abuse.
The Herald this year has chronicled cases of alleged financial abuse, including a vindictive ex-boyfriend who sent vile bank references to his former partner.
Another case involved a man who allegedly used his girlfriend’s money for drugs and porn and left her $38,000 in debt.
Good Shepherd has called for an immediate law change to recognise economic abuse as its own form of family violence.
“It is currently hidden within psychological abuse in the Family Violence Act,” Good Shepherd NZ said today.
The lack of clarity had stopped New Zealand breaking the cycle of family violence, the group added.
It said financial and economic abuse created long-lasting financial hardship, and barriers stopping people from leaving physically and sexually violent relationships.
Good Shepherd said the UK included economic abuse as a standalone form of abuse in its domestic abuse laws.
It said New South Wales became the last Australian state to follow suit. NSW last week announced it would create a stand-alone offence for coercive control in intimate partner relationships.
Northern Territory law already defined economic abuse as coercive, deceptive or unreasonably controlling non-consensual behaviour which denied people economic or financial autonomy.
NT law included scenarios where a person withheld or threatened to withhold financial support necessary to meet reasonable living expenses.
Dr Ang Jury, Women’s Refuge chief executive, said coercive control and financial abuse were not entirely the same.
She said financial abuse should be outlawed, and in cases of such abuse, there was often a trail of evidence.
Coercive control was not only more subjective, but could be hard to prosecute, Jury said.
“We already struggle here in New Zealand to get prosecutions for things like stalking and psychological violence.”
Jury said to many reasonable people, it was abundantly clear when coercive control was happening in a relationship.
“If your partner was dictating what you wear, where you work, where you’re shopping, who you speak to, what you ate for dinner, most people looking at that would say: That’s not okay.
“If you were being told that you need to have plastic surgery to make yourself an acceptable partner, most people would see that as coercive.”
Jury said she was unsure how seriously the Government was taking calls to criminalise financial harm, and the justice system was under huge pressure.
“I also know their work programme is disgustingly full.”
Today, the New Zealand Bankers’ Association said customers victimised by economic abuse should contact banks.
“Economic abuse is a serious problem, and it’s often hidden. Talking about it is the first step to eliminating its impact,” NZBA chief executive Roger Beaumont said.
“Banks play a part in helping to identify instances of economic harm. They train staff to recognise signs of potential economic harm while being sensitive to customers’ situations and wishes.”
He said these cases were often very sensitive and complicated by the bank’s customer obligations to both domestic partners who may have joint accounts, home loans or credit cards.
“Joint products usually need the consent of both customers to make any changes. Issues can arise when one party refuses consent.”
In July, a Tauranga woman contacted the Herald after receiving a series of abusive references on multiple one-cent deposits from her ex-boyfriend.
Bank transfer messages like these have been used to harass people. Photo / Supplied
That man’s bank, Westpac, said it issued him a warning.
And in August, another woman told the Herald her ex had racked up speeding fines in her name and used his controlling behaviour to take over her finances, spending money on methamphetamine and pornography.
After leaving the relationship, she and Good Shepherd worked with ASB bank to build a better debt repayment system.
National Network of Stopping Violence: Representing specialist family violence services across Aotearoa New Zealand at nnfvs.org.nz
White Ribbon: Aiming to eliminate men’s violence towards women. whiteribbon.org.nz
Elder Abuse Response Service (EARS): 0800 32 668 65 (0800 EA NOT OK)
How to hide your visit:
If you are reading this information on the Herald website and worry someone using the same computer will find out what you’ve been looking at, you can follow the steps at the link here to hide your visit.
