Opinion (Rogério COPETO / Official GNR): REPORT OF VIOLENCE AGAINST ELDERLY.
Today, day 15 June, marks the "World Day of Awareness of Violence Against Elderly ", whose date was established in 2006 the United Nations and the International Violence Prevention Network to the Elderly, with the aim of reflection and combating violence against the elderly.
Rogério COPETO
Lieutenant Colonel of the GNR, Master in Law and Security and Homeland Security Auditor
Head of the Education Division / Command Doctrine and Training
To mark the date again to bring LN called the study "Criminal victimization Seniors in Portugal: Participated crimes to law enforcement in 2011", dated March 2013, designed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and analyzing the data from the Internal Security Annual Report 2011 and especially the data provided by the GNR and the PSP for its preparation, for the year 2011, completing the study by the existence of a low criminal incidence on the elderly population in the year 2011, fact that has been observed in recent years, raising the question of the elderly They do not report crimes that are victims, in particular crimes of abuse, fraud, teasing, "Tales of the vicar" and financial exploitation.
The non-reporting of abuse crimes is due to the fact that these crimes are committed in your own home, na ou family home caregiver, the institutions responsible for providing them care (homes, hospitals, etc.) and by reason of the elderly fear to be alone, stay with no one to take care of them, lose caregiver, losing privacy and family relations, be reprimanded hair abuser, be posted publicly and subjected to external intervention, be placed in an institution, be discredited without anyone believe in violence or abuse they suffer and feel responsible for abusive behavior.
The non-reporting of fraud crimes is due to the fact that the victims believe that the help of the authorities, social protection services, family members, or other, They will not be mobilized to stop the abuse.
The non-reporting of crimes and scams of "Vicar story" is because victims feel ashamed, or because they fear what others will think they are no longer able to care for themselves, can therefore come to be institutionalized and also lack of information about the existence of aid resources or limited as they have access.
The non-reporting of financial exploitation of crime due to the fact that victims often have emotional connections proximity to the attackers and this inhibits the elderly to report the crime that the victim and despite wanting to end the exploitation to which it is exposed and recover their property, They do not want the offender be punished. Many victims believe that, partly, the guilt of finding that situation, also, is yours and blaming yourself for that reason.
Thus with regard to the crime committed against the elderly, GNR can not intervene if you have no knowledge of the crime, difficult so prevention and research, for lack of information on victims, the modus operandi and aggressors.
The non formalization of complaints can still create the aggressors a feeling of impunity, that will inevitably lead to relapse into crime.
The feeling of guilt and helplessness in the elderly, It takes the elderly to feel a burden to their families, with the serious consequences that may entail.
To reduce the "dark figure"(crimes that are not reported), GNR conducts awareness and information actions within the Operation Safety in the Elderly, where older people are informed about the safety procedures to be followed in situations assault or fraud, and how they can report crimes they suffer, It is made available direct phone numbers of the military GNR, thus creating trust between the GNR and the elderly and their families, aiming to denounce all the crimes that the elderly are victims, because only then can we increase awareness of violence against the elderly.
