Cyprus’s Elderly Observatory is calling for stronger protection and prevention mechanisms to combat elder abuse, marking today’s World Elder Abuse Awareness Day with a statement that accuses the state of decades of political inaction.
Citing World Health Organisation data, the Observatory said one in six people over the age of 60 have experienced some form of abuse globally, and that the issue receives insufficient attention despite its scale.
Abuse of older people is not limited to physical violence, the Observatory said, but also encompasses verbal and psychological abuse, sexual and financial exploitation, neglect, indifference and isolation. Most incidents occur in victims’ private environments, with perpetrators including family members, domestic helpers and carers, though cases of mistreatment in care facilities have also been reported.
The Observatory attributed the difficulty of reporting such incidents to victims’ emotional, financial or practical dependence on their abusers, fear of retaliation, and doubt that their complaints would be taken seriously.
The public is urged to remain alert to signs of abuse, which can be physical — including bruises, injuries and burns — or psychological, such as sudden behavioural changes, sadness, confusion and social isolation.
The Observatory directed sharp criticism at the state, describing “political inaction, institutional deficit and shallow benefit-driven or spasmodic policy decisions that have left problems untouched for decades.”
Among its recommendations, the Observatory called for stronger legal protection for victims, awareness and prevention programmes, more intensive inspections of care facilities, and the creation of shelters for elderly people who have suffered abuse.
The Observatory concluded that protecting the lives and dignity of older people “is a fundamental right and the minimum duty of a law-abiding democracy, while continued indifference constitutes an act of moral complicity.”
(information from CNA)
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