P028 - Elder abuse in Spain: problems in the legal system and improvement measures

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Abstract

Elder abuse is a phenomenon that takes many different forms, including physical, psychological, economic and neglect of the elderly, both in an institutional or domestic context. The high levels of dark crime that characterises this phenomenon is a factor that increases the difficulty of an effective response to this problem. Starting from the data recorded on violence against the elderly in Spain, the aim of this work is to explain and to understand, from an interdisciplinary perspective, the difficulties encountered by these persons, who are particularly vulnerable, in reporting such cases, and to show, on the basis of real situations, how these cases are treated in the courts. Thus, after clarifying the penal protection provided by the Spanish Criminal Code to respond to these crimes, the circumstances related to the epistemic injustices that arise during the legal process are discussed, as well as other forms of secondary victimisation suffered by the victims of this type of violence. Understanding the circumstances surrounding this phenomenon and its prosecution can contribute to the prevention of some of the negative consequences that have been detected.

Author

• César Guardia, University of the Basque Country