More Guernsey women seeking refuge due to economic abuse

Guernsey refuge Safer said more women under financial control were seeking help

A refuge said it was seeing more women seeking help due to economic abuse.

Guernsey refuge Safer said the rise in the cost of living was forcing many women to stay with abusive partners.

The women's refuge has been campaigning for States support for a bigger and more inclusive facility to meet increasing demand.

Safer's head of service Naomi Wood said the current economic crisis was keeping women in abusive relationships out of a fear of losing everything.

She said: "Financial abuse is a massive ongoing issue for many of our clients.

"Clearly that affects every aspect of your life from day-to-day living costs or, if you've got children, the basic things we all should have.

"It makes all of that inaccessible.

"We know that people who are... under that control of finances end up staying in relationships in fear of not having access to funds and finances if they leave the relationship, so the cycle continues on."

'Incredibly supportive'

Plans for a larger refuge have been backed by most States members, Deputy Sue Aldwell confirmed.

She said funding could be difficult but she believed the project would go ahead.

She said: "I'm very positive. We are all very positive to bring this forward because it is something that we certainly need.

"I know that deputies, all over the generations, have been incredibly supportive of this."

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