Molly Wilkes, a 22-year-old woman, died by suicide in July 2022 after enduring severe domestic violence. Her mother, Julie Adams, shared Molly's experiences in a submission to a federal inquiry examining how financial abuse affects superannuation and tax systems.

Molly frequently communicated with her mother about the abuse she faced, which included emotional, sexual, physical, and financial violence. Despite attempting to leave her husband six times since their marriage in January 2021, she struggled to escape the cycle of abuse. In the week before her death, Molly had packed her bags, ready to leave, but her husband's manipulation intensified when he learned of her plans.

Julie Adams described Molly's isolation in a foreign country, stating, "Exhausted, and completely isolated in a foreign country, she did not have the energy to leave." Molly took her life in their Las Vegas home on July 28, 2022.

In her submission, Adams detailed the financial abuse Molly suffered, including pressure to ask her mother for money and attempts to access her inheritance. Molly had a superannuation account with HESTA but did not have a binding death nomination and died without a will. Although her mother was listed as a non-binding beneficiary, the law dictated that her husband, the perpetrator, was the only eligible dependent.

Adams expressed her frustration, stating, "Despite my many attempts to change this outcome, the HESTA trustees had no option but to pay out Molly's superannuation and death benefit to her abuser. This they did in December 2023."

HESTA acknowledged the issue, stating it is advocating for legal reforms to prevent perpetrators of domestic violence from benefiting financially from their victims. A spokesperson said, "We believe the current laws surrounding death benefits fail to sufficiently protect victims of family violence and urgent reform is needed."

The Super Members Council (SMC) has also called for changes to allow trustees to withhold death benefits in cases of abuse. SMC CEO Misha Schubert emphasized the need for reform, saying, "It's a glaring injustice that under the current law, perpetrators of family violence can inherit by default the super of a partner they abused."

Research from Super Consumers Australia revealed that at least 6.5 million Australians lack control over who inherits their superannuation. Many individuals have not made binding death benefit nominations, which ensure that funds go to intended beneficiaries.

Adams highlighted the inconsistency in superannuation fund rules, noting that some funds allow for non-lapsing binding nominations while others do not. She called for changes to the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act to prevent abusers from being designated as beneficiaries.

The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services has recommended amending the SIS Act to declare beneficiaries who have committed domestic violence as invalid. Additionally, the committee suggested a review of financial products to ensure that perpetrators cannot benefit from the deaths of their victims.

Adams proposed a "change of circumstances rule" to allow super funds to override binding nominations in cases of financial abuse. She also advocated for the codification of the forfeiture rule, which would prevent abusers from receiving benefits from their victims' estates.

The inquiry into these issues continues, with advocates pushing for urgent reforms to protect victims of domestic violence and ensure that financial systems do not enable further abuse.