Report abuse of the elderly
If you suspect that an older person has been or is being abused, you can help by reporting it to the authorities. Any person who abuses an older person is guilty of an offence. If you suspect abuse and do not report it, you may also be guilty of an offence.
How to identify abuse of an older person
An older person is defined as a man over 65, and a woman over 60 years of age. Abuse of an older person is defined as the following:
- Physical abuse: any act or threat of physical violence
- Sexual abuse: any sexual behaviour towards the older person without their consent
- Psychological abuse: any behaviour that causes emotional pain, including repeated insults and threats, as well as invasion of privacy or security
- Economic abuse: depriving the older person of their finances or property entitled to them by law, as well as selling property that belongs to the older person without their consent
You can report abuse to a social worker who will then work with the police to investigate the situation. We have a number of hotlines that you can phone to make the process as easy as possible.
You can also report the abuse directly to the SAPS. The police will then inform the Director-General of the alleged abuse and the matter will be investigated further. These investigations may result in removing either the older person or the alleged abuser from the place where the older person resides, and possibly bringing the alleged offender before a magistrate’s court.
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