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Grieving mother vows to stop abusers profiting from victims’ deaths
When 22-year-old Perth woman and domestic violence victim Molly Wilkes took her own life, her alleged abuser inherited her superannuation. Now, Molly’s mother is fighting for change.
Julie Adams states that her “beautiful” and “feisty” daughter died from domestic violence-related suicide in July 2022 after relentless and emotional, sexual, physical and financial abuse at her husband’s hands.
Julie Adams (left) wants the laws around financial benefit after death changed, after her daughter Molly Wilkes (right) died.
“Molly had tried to leave the perpetrator of her abuse six times since they married in January 2021,” she wrote.
“The last three times were in the last five months of her life.
“The week before her death Molly had packed her bags and was ready to leave … however, once he found out about her plans, his emotional torture and manipulation of her escalated.
“Exhausted, and completely isolated in a foreign country, she did not have the energy to leave.”
Molly took her own life in the garage of her new home in Las Vegas, where she had moved in 2020 with her husband before they married in 2021.
Julie Adams has written the above in submission to Australia’s parliamentary inquiry examining the role financial institutions play in domestic abuse.
Adams’ submission includes extracts from alleged messages sent from her daughter’s husband before her death, including death threats and encouragements to commit suicide, such as: “dig a hole and bury yourself in it you pathetic c---.”
Many messages called her derogatory names and taunts about his sexual relationship with another woman, Adams wrote.
“Numerous messages of financial abuse includ[ed] requesting her to ask me for money, wanting to access her inheritance from her grandmother (my mother), confusing messages indicating that he had all their finances in order whilst at the same time taking out a payday loan, and words to the effect of her being a financial liability,” the submission continued.
Molly Wilkes died by suicide after years of domestic violence abuse.
Molly had a superannuation account with HESTA but no binding death nomination, and died without a will.
Although she listed her mother as her beneficiary, under current laws the only eligible superannuation dependent was the alleged perpetrator, her husband, who received her super and death benefit despite her mother’s efforts to stop it.
Adams’ submission details four ways financial institutions can reduce the risk of financial abuse, including updates to terms and conditions to ban misuse of their products and services; stricter witnessing requirements for superannuation binding death benefit nominations; and the introduction of a new ‘domestic violence related suicide’ cause of death for death certificates.
A 2022 WA Ombudsman report found 59 women over the age of 18 who were known victims of domestic violence ended their own lives in 2017, with DV-related suicide accounting for 56 per cent of suicides in women.
“There is increasing awareness over the incidence of domestic violence-related suicide,” Adams said.
“Victims of domestic violence are ten times more likely to die from their own hand, than be murdered by the perpetrator.”
The inquiry holds its next public hearing in Perth on July 10.
If you or someone you know needs support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue. In an emergency dial 000. Support is also available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).
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