UN Expert calls for inputs on violence, abuse and neglect of older persons

Thu 02 Feb 2023

The UN Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons is calling for inputs on violence, abuse and neglect of older persons to inform a report. Inputs are due by 1 March 2023.

photo of the back of older couple sitting looking at the ocean, one on a bench, one in a wheelchair

UN Expert calls for inputs

Dr. Claudia Mahler, the UN Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, has issued a call for inputs on violence, abuse and neglect of older persons.

The feedback will inform her next thematic report to the Human Rights Council in 2023 on violence, abuse and neglect of older persons.

The closing date to submit is 1 March 2023.

In the background to the call for inputs, Dr. Mahler notes that:

"Violence and abuse against older persons take different forms and occurs in all types of settings, including within families and at home, in care and health settings, at the workplace, in public spaces, in the media, in the digital space, and in emergency and humanitarian settings."

She also notes that the range of perpetrators can include family members, caregivers, legal guardians, health professionals, government workers and financial representatives.

Dr. Mahler is inviting written feedback from national and local governments, national and international non-governmental organisations, national human rights institutions, international and regional inter-governmental organisations, United Nations agencies and entities, activists, and academics.

There is a brief 2-page document that outlines the key questions (also available in Français and Español) that inputs are invited on:

Legal, policy and institutional frameworks
Forms of violence
Intersectionality
Data
Access to justice
Access to information
Examples of good practices for preventing, monitoring and address violence and abuse against older persons.

Written contributions are limited to 1,500 words, and can be submitted by email to hrc-ie-olderpersons@un.org with the heading “Submission to the call for inputs on violence against older persons – 2023 HRC report”.

For more information see the call for inputs.

We have previously collected research and resources related to older people, elder abuse, ageism and wellbeing for older people in some of our previous news stories. See these news stories below. Or use the quick topic search elder abuse to find the latest research and resources in our library.

Update: The Family Violence Death Review Committee has published their submission Input for the report of the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons (2023).

Australian data shows dementia patients are particularly vulnerable to sex assaults, Stuff, 13.03.2022

Image: Bruno Aguirre on Unsplash