Closed petition: Review how the justice system handles financial abuse

Closed on 31 July 2025

We think the treatment of financial abuse within the justice system should be reviewed. We think this should look at police reporting of financial abuse, police training, expanding access to public funds for victims, regardless of visa status, and how custody frameworks considers financial abuse.

Financial abuse traps victims in cycles of control and dependency and can prevent victims from leaving abusive relationships. We think current systems are insufficient to protect victims:

- We feel Police too often dismiss financial abuse as a "civil matter”
- We think victims often have unequal legal representation compared to their abuser

We think these gaps make it difficult to escape abuse. We urge Government to launch a review to help ensure that financial abuse is treated seriously.