Mate Crime
Mate crime: how friendship is being used as a weapon to steal and control
A little-recognised form of abuse, it can lead to years of misery
In the beginning, Mandy Davis* thought she was helping out a friend. Paying his rent in their flatshare was an obvious move after he told her he was about to lose his job.
But what started as a helping hand was quickly met with controlling behaviour when he started to criticise what she ate and her hygiene. Soon she felt confined to her room due to his belittling jibes, and was left on the brink of suicide.
After years of abuse, he eventually departed, leaving the vulnerable woman exploited and more than £30,000 out of pocket.
“I acted under duress – I was put under enormous pressure and my mental ill-health was exploited. I have lost enormous amounts of money,” she says.
“I feel as if he exploited my vulnerability due to my mental health, by making me believe he was going to rot away on the street, and decided to take my money, and call me abusive.”
Davis now realises, after help from friends and charities, that she was the victim of “mate crime” – loosely defined as exploitation, abuse or theft involving someone who claims to be a friend.
Often associated with the elderly, or those with learning difficulties, it can happen to anyone, say experts, and has become easier in recent years with the development of online friendships and relationships.
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