The cost of freedom: Domestic abuse survivors forced to stay with abusers amid rising cost of living
It took seven years for Abigail to break free of her abusive relationship, but as the cost of living crisis deepens there are concerns others may not be able to break free.
More than three-quarters of domestic abuse survivors (77%) are finding it harder to escape these relationships, the charity Refuge has warned, as people are forced to choose between remaining with their abusive partner or risk destitution.
For almost a decade, Abigail (not her real name) was subjected to physical, mental, financial and sexual abuse – with the attacks becoming so violent on one occasion, she miscarried.
“The last resort for me was he drugged and violently raped me,” she told Sky News.
“And I think for me that was a wake-up call – because I could hardly walk. I just thought this person could kill me.”
But with her abuser’s name on the house, she was reliant on him financially and had to go to court to get him to take his name off the house.
“Simply put – I wouldn’t have been able to leave my abuser if this crisis was happening when I was trying to flee 10 years ago,” she said.
“I felt trapped as it was. One of the elements of abuse he used against me was financial. Alongside the physical and emotional abuse this economic abuse had a big impact when it came to leaving, he controlled everything.”
Abusers taking advantage of crisis
More than half of the frontline staff at Refuge said the cost of living crisis is leading survivors to return to their abusers.
Abigail’s partner would whisper in her ear: “He tried to tell me I was crazy. I couldn’t live without him.”
Refuge’s specialist technology-facilitated and economic empowerment team has seen an 87% increase in referrals for support with complex cases – they say this can be directly linked to the impact of the crisis.
The charity said it will need an additional £1m to address the growing costs of running its specialist services.
It warned perpetrators are also taking advantage of the cost of living crisis to increase economic abuse and control.
Some perpetrators restrict food and heating in an attempt to gain custody of children on the basis that survivors simply cannot afford to maintain a warm home and enough food.
Even seven years ago, setting out on her own was a struggle, said Abigail.
“At one point, I had £1.25 on my electric meter,” she said, adding that at one point she had to pay £1,500 in court costs towards the prosecution of her ex-partner.
He still owes Abigail thousands in child support.
As Christmas approaches, Abigail wants only the best for her four children – who were witnesses of the abuse – and has opened an Argos and Very account in a bid to afford presents.
“I have never had any credit cards before,” she said.
“I want to make sure my children have everything they want and need, but at the same time, I am already stressed when I think about how I am going to pay that off.”
Completely forgotten
One anonymous Refuge frontline worker said: “It feels like survivors of domestic abuse have been completely forgotten about in this crisis. I have clients whose financial situation is so difficult since fleeing that they are considering returning to their abuser.
“They are reliant on food and clothes banks, they have cancelled and cut back anything and everything they can, to be able to afford to pay their bills. This is having such a detrimental impact on survivors’ mental health and wellbeing.
“Some women are really worried about losing access to their children, they tell me that perpetrators are using this cost of living crisis to further their abuse, something we know as post-separation abuse.
“We are doing everything we can with the funding we have to support survivors – we are giving out more foodbank vouchers, more regularly and to more residents who are repeatedly requiring them, but this has led to foodbanks raising with us that they cannot repeatedly give out vouchers.”
Read more: Woman ‘trapped’ with abusive husband due to soaring energy prices
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What is coercive control?
Calls for emergency escape fund
Refuge has called on the government to create an Emergency Domestic Abuse Fund to help survivors flee their abusers. It welcomed the government uplifting benefits in line with inflation but implored it “not wait until next April to make this vital change”.
Ruth Davison, the charity’s CEO, said: “Survivors and their children are struggling now, and they need urgent action to weather the storm of price increases this winter. No one should be left choosing between ongoing abuse and violence or poverty and hunger.
“The reality is that nothing has changed for women and children experiencing domestic abuse in the autumn statement.”
The fund, she added, would ensure “no woman has to choose between financial stability and her physical safety”.
Some 94% of emotional abusers escape conviction, according to Home Office data – despite the fact incidents of controlling and coercive behaviour are on the rise.
The average cost of a divorce in the UK – including legal fees and lifestyle changes, such as needing to find new accommodation – is £14,561, a devastatingly high amount for people who may not have access to their own money.
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Figures from Surviving Economic Abuse and Money Advice Plus found 67% of survivors are already in a negative budget or have less than £100 surplus at the end of the month. They also have an average individual debt of £20,000 – six times more than in 2020, and it’s expected to get worse.
Shanika Hayes, a senior associate at Stowe Family Law, told Sky News: “They may not have their own employment, and even if they find themselves in a situation where they can leave and have their own source of income, their confidence is normally at the point where they feel like they are not worthy of that, or are not able to sustain that.”
For both men and women, the crisis is placing a strain on relationships that can see them edge into abuse.
“Financial issues can be a catalyst to abuse and it’s often the case that this is the straw that broke the camel’s back,” said Ms Hayes.
“Financial worries, whether that’s how they pay bills or increases to cost of living, that can worsen a relationship that is already abusive, or push one into that territory.”
Refuge’s National Domestic Abuse Helpline can be reached on 0808 2000 247, available 24 hours a day 7 days a week for free, confidential specialist support.
A new report into the activities of the top British spy inside the IRA during The Troubles has said that he “committed crimes of the worst possible kind”, including torture and murder, and should be publicly named by the UK government.
It’s widely accepted that the late republican Freddie Scappaticci was the agent, codenamed “Stakeknife”.
He headed the IRA‘s so-called “nutting squad”, a notorious internal security unit tasked with hunting and executing informants, but was himself operating as a mole for British intelligence.
The final report of a seven-year investigation named Operation Kenova has found that “there is a compelling ethical case” to reveal the agent’s identity.
Operation Kenova live: ‘Stakeknife’ spy inside IRA committed ‘worst possible’ crimes
Head of Kenova Sir Iain Livingstone said that “it is in the public interest that Stakeknife is named”. He urged the government to depart from its “neither confirm nor deny” (NCND) policy on the grounds of public interest.
It’s understood that the government believes Stakeknife cannot be officially named at this time due to some outstanding legal issues. Sky News has approached No 10 Downing Street for comment.
Freddie Scappaticci died two years ago denying that he was the agent, but all sides in Northern Ireland accept his denial was false.
Freddie Scappaticci. File pic: PA
The report also found a “significant failure” by MI5 in its late provision of materials to the investigation. “The further material revealed MI5 had earlier and greater knowledge of the agent than previously stated,” the report says.
Sir Ian Livingstone added that “further investigative opportunities were undoubtedly lost”, and that the confidence of the communities in Northern Ireland was undermined. Sky News has approached the security agency for comment.
Stakeknife produced a “vast” amount of intelligence. 3,517 reports from the agent were discovered, including 377 from one 18-month period. But the report found the intelligence was not shared with those who could have used it to save lives.
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Last year, Operation Kenova’s interim report found the security forces were frequently aware of imminent abductions and murders but failed to protect those at risk.
Today’s report found his army handlers even took Stakeknife out of Northern Ireland for two holidays, at a time when he was sought by police for murder and kidnapping. He was flown on military aircraft and given military ID.
As a result, preventable deaths occurred with the security forces’ knowledge and those responsible were not brought to justice and were instead left free to reoffend.
Investigation lead Sir Iain Livingstone and Northern Irish police chief Jon Boutcher speak at a conference following the report
‘Wholly unjustified criminality’
The 2024 report also concluded that Stakeknife was involved in “very serious and wholly unjustifiable criminality”, including murder, and claims his intelligence saved “countless” or “hundreds” of lives were exaggerated. It found that the number of lives saved by his spying ranged from the high single figures to low double figures.
This contradicted claims that Scappaticci had saved hundreds of lives during the years he was active, with a former defence chief describing him as “the goose that laid the golden eggs”. The interim report found that claim to be “inherently implausible” and “a comparison rooted in fables and fairy tales”.
The 2024 report also called on the UK government to apologise to bereaved families, given that many murders were avoidable.
‘Each evil act being the epitome of cowardice’
There was also a call for an apology from republican leaders for “the most shameful and evil” actions of the Provisional IRA (PIRA). “It was PIRA that committed the brutal acts of torture and murder, each evil act being the epitome of cowardice,” the report stated.
No prosecutions connected with Stakeknife will take place, prosecutors in Northern Ireland have already decided.
Families of IRA victims associated with Stakeknife will give their response to the Kenova report in a news conference later today.
They want Scappaticci to be officially named, and many are seeking an apology from the British government.
Three men and a woman have been jailed for at least 20 years for the brutal murder of a much-loved son.
Steven Hutton, 43, was hit with a hammer and stabbed in the heart during a late-night home invasion at his flat in Dundee in March 2024.
He was taken to the city’s Ninewells Hospital, but died the following day.
Brian Miller, 29, Scott Henderson, 40, Barry Murray, 45, and Carri Stewart, 44, were on Monday found guilty of murder following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.
Brian Miller. Pic: Police Scotland
Scott Henderson. Pic: Police Scotland
The killers were each handed a life sentence, and will spend at least two decades behind bars.
In her sentencing statement, Judge Lady Haldane said the evidence provided a “compelling picture of a plan to inflict serious violence upon Mr Hutton in his own home”.
Barry Murray. Pic: Police Scotland
Carri Stewart. Pic: Police Scotland
The judge described it as a “frenzied assault”, which in part was sparked due to a “missing packet of Pregabalin medication”.
‘Callous’ behaviour
Lady Haldane stated: “Steven Hutton lost his life in these horrific circumstances, compounded by the fact that not one of you sought to seek assistance for him as he lay dying until you were all well clear of the property.
“That is behaviour that can only be described as callous.”
Read more from Sky News:
Public inquiry to probe how killer evaded justice for 19 years
‘Stakeknife’ spy inside IRA should be named, says report
The judge paid tribute to Mr Hutton’s family and friends.
She added: “Those close to Mr Hutton, in particular his mother, have attended faithfully every day of this trial, and their quiet dignity throughout what must have been at times harrowing and distressing evidence stands in stark contrast to your behaviour.
“Mrs Hutton has in addition provided a detailed and moving account of her relationship with Mr Hutton, her only son, and the impact his loss has had upon her.
“I thank her for taking the time to prepare this thoughtful document, and I have taken all that she has said into account.”
Detective Inspector Richard Baird said the killers “now face the consequences of their actions”.
He added: “This was an unprovoked attack that cost Steven Hutton his life. We hope this conviction brings some form of comfort to Steven’s family.”
UK
Emma Caldwell: Public inquiry formally under way which will probe how killer Iain Packer evaded justice for almost 20 years
A public inquiry into the murder of a woman is now formally under way and will examine what went wrong in the police investigation that allowed a serial rapist to evade justice for almost 20 years.
Iain Packer murdered Emma Caldwell, 27, in 2005.
In February 2024, he was ordered to serve a minimum of 36 years behind bars after being convicted of a string of violent offences.
Alongside double-murderer Andrew Innes, it is the second longest sentence ever handed down by a Scottish court, behind the 37-year minimum jail term given to World’s End killer Angus Sinclair in 2014.
Iain Packer. Pic: Police Scotland
Packer was found guilty of 33 offences following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow, including Ms Caldwell’s murder, 11 rapes and multiple sexual assaults against other women.
Following the killer’s conviction, Sky News heard testimony from several former sex workers who raised concerns to police about his dangerous sexual behaviour years before Ms Caldwell was murdered.
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Police interviewing Packer following his arrest over Ms Caldwell’s murder
The Scottish government last year ordered a judge-led public inquiry into the police handling of the case, which will be chaired by Lord Scott.
In an update on Tuesday, Justice Secretary Angela Constance announced it has now been formally set up and work is under way.
The inquiry will examine the investigative strategy and decision-making by what was then Strathclyde Police, including the direction given by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS).
It will probe what steps could reasonably have been taken that might have resulted in Packer being apprehended and prosecuted at an earlier stage, and any other factors relevant to the circumstances of the investigation and related prosecution.
The inquiry will also examine if any failings in training, procedures, operating models or systems of working contributed to any failures in the police and COPFS case.
The subsequent findings and any recommendations will be reported to Scottish ministers.
Justice Secretary Angela Constance. Pic: PA
Ms Constance said: “My thoughts continue to be with Emma Caldwell’s mother Margaret and her family, who have suffered unimaginable heartbreak.
“The public inquiry will look at what went wrong in the investigation of Emma’s murder and I hope it will provide the answers that the family need and deserve.
“I consulted with the chair, Lord Scott, on the terms of reference for the inquiry and also met the Caldwell family and other parties to discuss the inquiry’s remit.
“While these terms do not feature all of the issues raised with me during discussions, I am satisfied that they are both well focused and sufficiently flexible and broad enough to allow the chair to examine wider issues he may consider relevant to a robust, efficient and effective inquiry.”
Ms Caldwell. Pic: Family handout
Ms Caldwell vanished in April 2005 just days after telling her mother about her hopes to defeat a heroin addiction, which began after her sister’s death.
She went missing in Glasgow while working as a sex worker. Her body was discovered the following month in Limefield Woods, South Lanarkshire.
During Packer’s trial, jurors were taken to the forest where Ms Caldwell’s body was dumped. Pic: Sky News
Investigating officers interviewed Packer that June but he was not convicted until almost two decades later after cold case detectives re-examined the case in 2015.
Police Scotland apologised to Ms Caldwell’s family and Packer’s other victims for how the original inquiry was handled by Strathclyde Police, saying they were “let down”.
Margaret Caldwell, Ms Caldwell’s mother. Pic: PA
Margaret Caldwell, Ms Caldwell’s mother, has never given up on her pursuit of the truth.
Solicitor Aamer Anwar, the family’s lawyer, said: “The reference to Strathclyde Police in the terms of reference may be interpreted by some to mean that the inquiry can only deal with the police force up until, but not beyond when it became Police Scotland.
“Strathclyde Police ceased on 1 April 2013 when it merged into a single national service, as Police Scotland.
“If this inquiry is to pursue the truth, then it must look not only at Strathclyde Police, but what happened when Police Scotland took over responsibility.”
Solicitor Aamer Anwar (centre) alongside Ms Caldwell’s family earlier this year. Pic: PA
Mr Anwar said Packer’s survivors “deserve their place at the heart of this inquiry”.
He added: “A toxic culture of misogyny and corruption meant the police failed so many women and girls who came forward to speak up against Packer.
“Instead of receiving justice and compassion, they were humiliated, dismissed and in some instances arrested, whilst the police gifted freedom to an evil predator to rape and rape again.”
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