A total of 11,000 cases of abuse on elderly and vulnerable people have been reported since 2008, Parliamentary Secretary Justyne Caruana said.
Between 2009 and 2013, the police were informed of some 350 complaints of physical abuse and 385 cases of thefts from the elderly, she said as she introduced the discussion in second reading of the Bill which provides for harsher penalties for those found guilty of abuse or violence on elderly and vulnerable people.
The number of cases of violence on the elderly doubled between 2010 and 2013, she added.
Dr Caruana said the Bill widened the definition of what constituted abuse, which would now also include mental suffering caused by carers. The penalties would consist of a two-tier mechanism increasing by three degrees when the victim is over 75 years of age. The Bill provides for jail terms of between two and 12 years according to circumstances.
Sexual abuse was among those cases that were not reported to the police, as victims feared they would be stigmatised.
Certain elderly people confessed they were pressured to change their will
This kind of abuse might have been taking place for a long time before coming to light.
Some elderly people did not report sexual abuse for fear of being ejected from the home they were living in.
Dr Caruana also announced that Bills regarding the Commissioner for the Elderly, powers of attorney, contracts and testaments were all at an advanced stage.
Opposition spokesman Mario Galea said the Opposition agreed with the Bill.
He revealed that a 2008 study by social workers showed 4.6 per cent of the residents at Zammit Clapp Hospital and St Vincent de Paul Residence had suffered some form of abuse.
He called on the police and professionals to learn to recognise the symptoms and warning signs of abuse. They had to be more sensitive and not dismiss it as a personal family affair. This was society’s affair.
Opposition deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami said there were a number of elderly people who lived in solitude.
Certain elderly people had told politicians during home visits that their children neglected them and did not visit them anymore.
Some said that their children only visited when they received their pension.
Dr Fenech Adami said certain people pretended to take care of vulnerable people and expected a portion of the person’s pension in exchange. Certain elderly people confessed they were pressured to change their will or to sign a power of attorney.
Robert Cutajar and Stephen Spiteri (PN) and Labour MP Deborah Schembri and Minister Michael Farrugia contributed to the discussion.