'He stole my benefits and cancelled GP appointments'

Charity warns of rise in tech-related abuse of disabled

- ATHENA STAVROU

No privacy online, surveillance at home and no control over her money or medical appointments - this was the reality of life for one woman who endured years of abuse by her partner through technology.

She is one of the increasing number of disabled people who leading charity Refuge say are facing the “devastating” impact of tech-facilitated domestic abuse.

Sarah, who is a wheelchair user in her forties and has had her name changed for safety reasons, depended on her then-partner to help with her ongoing medical needs, but was instead abused “relentlessly”.

“I had no privacy at all,” she told The Independent. “He had access to all my accounts, my bank account – everything.

“The worst thing was him cancelling my hospital appointments. He would tell the hospital I was too poorly; it wasn’t true, but he wouldn’t let me. I would then have to wait months to be seen.”

Using her phone and the smart devices within the home, he would monitor her movements, calls and interactions with others. His access to her media accounts, emails, and online banking left her with no privacy.

She said his use of technology endangered her health, as he intercepted texts and emails from her GP and hospital through the NHS app, often cancelling her appointments without her consent and restricting her access to medication.