New data shows that there has been a big rise in cases involving economic and technology-based abuse.
This data was issued by Refuge and is taken from the number of referrals to its Technology Facilitated Abuse and Economic Empowerment department. From April 2025 to March 2026, there were a total of 967 of those referrals. The figure for the same period a year earlier was 542. This adds up to an increase of 78%, which is an alarming figure.
What the data also shows is a distinct rise in the number of economic abuse referrals. 43% of the total number of the victims said their abuse was financial, whereas the year before it was 37%.
A significant portion of this concerns car finance. Victims said their partners had forced them to commit to expensive long-term agreements and then used them to exert control.
In some cases, the agreements were for luxury vehicles costing more than £100,000. Victims were left with debt and damaged credit that left them dependent on their abusers. This is a form of coercive control that family law barristers in North Wales will want to research further.
Francesca Ferrier works for Refuge and she pointed out what the response should be. She argued the government needs to work alongside economic abuse experts, credit agencies and car finance firms to come up with a strategy.
At Bennett Smith Solicitors, we work on domestic abuse cases and prioritise client care. Call us now to speak to one of our solicitors in Llandudno.
