A project to recognise the full pattern of abuse, improve protection and help people regain control of their lives.
Asociación Josefina Crespo is an established association behind “Autonomy against economic abuse”. The project seeks to enable economic abuse and misuse of legal proceedings to be investigated as a whole, taking account of the connections between actions and the harm they cause.
It is intended for women and men experiencing these forms of abuse, with particular attention to vulnerability and the protection of children. It grew from its founder’s lived experience and the determination to help others find protection and rebuild their lives.
Economic abuse can extend beyond unpaid maintenance. It may involve taking assets or businesses, hiding wealth, imposing debts, intimidating someone into signing documents, or misusing legal proceedings to prolong control and exhaust a person’s resources.
When incidents are examined separately, the pattern connecting them can be missed. We propose reconstructing the sequence, tracing money and assets, and investigating possible involvement by third parties, assessing evidence in context and with full procedural safeguards.
The number of court cases alone does not establish abuse: their connections, purpose and effects must be investigated.
The core proposal is to establish an offence addressing a continuing pattern of economic abuse and abuse of legal proceedings, enabling the justice system to investigate and assess connected conduct and the resulting harm as a whole.
We propose a new offence that allows connected conduct to be investigated and assessed as a whole, preventing its fragmentation across separate proceedings from obscuring the pattern and cumulative harm.
Proposing specific criminal-law provisions addressing the exploitation of trust and intimacy to cause financial harm.
Proposing mechanisms to report and investigate potential conflicts of interest, coercion or harassment by professionals, including insolvency administrators.
The proposal also addresses appropriate handling of reports, access to suitably prepared legal representation, professional training, prevention of further victimisation, and protection of children when their financial needs are used as a means of pressure.
The project has been submitted to Impact Social Cup 2026–2027 to seek support, visibility and partnerships. Selection is pending, with the outcome expected in December 2026.
This is a social project advancing a reform proposal. It is not yet a bill registered in the Spanish Congress, and the text must undergo specialist legal and psychological review.
At Exclusivas Ayala we draw inspiration from Philip Kotler’s Marketing 3.0, which places people and values at the heart of business. We put this into practice by listening, providing clear information, honouring agreements and supporting our clients honestly.
We want to contribute to a more humane and transparent property sector and encourage other businesses to share that commitment. The association has its own social purpose, explained here.
The association has its own website, where you can explore its history, the Legal Gaps Observatory, the project and ways to get involved. The website is in Spanish.
Visit the Asociación Josefina Crespo website →Support Asociación Josefina Crespo’s petition on Change.org to promote recognition of economic and financial abuse and better protection for those affected.
Support the petition on Change.org ↗This opens Change.org, an external platform where you can read the petition and decide whether to sign.
We are seeking partnerships and resources to review and develop the proposal. To learn more or discuss a collaboration, please email us with “Asociación Josefina Crespo” in the subject line.
Contact us about the project ↗