Reports of domestic violence committed against elderly people have reached a five-year high.
The police received just under 200 such reports last year, the majority involving claims of psychological abuse, according to police data.
The numbers have been rising every year: there were 121 in 2016, 124 in 2017, 143 in 2018, 167 in 2019 and 194 last year.
Of last year’s reports, 141 involved psychological abuse.
Giving examples of such abuse, a police spokesman said that in some cases adult children were reported for provoking fear in their elderly parents while in others the issue was between the spouses.
In another kind of abuse, a magistrate warned last week that financial exploitation of elderly people was on the rise and stronger action was needed to curb it.
The case involved a woman who had helped herself to an elderly neighbour’s money.
Elderly abuse is a social reality that is growing in prevalence
Last year, the police received 122 reports of elderly people being defrauded, compared to 149 in 2019, 141 in 2018, 89 in 2017 and 92 in 2016.
The police also receive reports of crime against elderly people involving deliberate injury: in 2020 there were 81 such reports, where 68 of the victims sustained serious injuries. This compared to 88 cases in 2019, 112 in 2018, 72 in 2017 and 94 in 2016.
On the other hand, reports of theft from the elderly, which may include armed robbery, mugging and snatch and grab cases, have declined.
The number of cases has dropped from 113 in 2016 to just 21 cases last year. However, this figure may have been depressed by the pandemic, during which the elderly have largely stayed at home to avoid the risk of infection.
In a recent opinion piece, written to mark World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, celebrated on June 15, Mary Vella, the Commissioner for Older Persons, described the phenomenon as a social reality that is growing in prevalence due to an ever-increasing population of elderly, vulnerable individuals.
Though statistics show there is an increase in reported cases, abuse of the elderly is still largely hidden and under-reported, with no proper data on the actual number of victims, she said.
Anyone in need of help can call on the national help line 179. The main aim of this service is to provide immediate and unbiased help to those seeking information, support or who need referral to social services agencies.