The Unfortunate Pattern of Elder Abuse | May 6, 2021
This week, the Justice Committee began a study on elder abuse. As a permanent member of the committee, I had the opportunity to question our witnesses from the Department of Justice and the Department of Employment and Social Development.
I addressed my final question to a representative from the Department of Justice:
“When it is reported, how often is the abuser of an elder actually prosecuted? What is the success rate for victims of elder abuse in the courts?”
Unfortunately, Ms. Morency could not answer my question.
Representatives from the Department of Justice are invited to the Justice Committee because they are experts on the criminal code, and they will provide advice on how to improve it. She informed me that the Department of Justice had no information on the success of prosecution in cases of elder abuse. The responsibility for this does not fall on Ms. Morency. I am always grateful to our witnesses. The responsibility falls on the Liberal Minister for Justice and Prime Minister Trudeau. The lack of attention paid to vulnerable seniors in the midst of this pandemic is tragic.
I look forward to finding an answer to my question. Elder abuse already goes far too unnoticed, it would be a tragedy to learn that even when it is noticed it goes unprosecuted. I also look forward to hearing from other witnesses on how the federal government can come alongside the province in protecting elderly victims of abuse. This study will continue until May 27.