12 reports of elder abuse each month

SOME 72 elderly people complained of being abused in a six-month period, revealed Dr Jennifer Rouse, Director of the Division of Ageing of the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services at an event to mark World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

The TT Police Service Victim and Witness Support Unit and Woodbrook Police Station held an event on June 9 at Adam Smith Square, Woodbrook, titled "Elder Abuse: The Silent Consequence of Domestic Violence Raising Awareness and Encouraging Resilience and Empowerment.”

“Between October 2017 and March 2018, there were 72 cases of elder abuse, 42 cases of abuse occurring in private homes and 30 cases reported in elderly care giving facilities in Trinidad and Tobago,” said Rouse.

“These 72 cases of elder abuse equate to 12 cases per month. One case of abuse is too much."