P027. Detection and prevention of elder abuse: the actions of the State Prosecutor's Office in Spain

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Abstract

Elder abuse often remains undetected. The main reason for this hidden figure is the absence of complaints, due to various circumstances, such as: many institutions do not report certain situations that may be considered as abuse; in many cases, elderly people who are victims of abuse find themselves isolated and alone, and they are often only in contact with the people who are the perpetrators of the abuse; many of the elderly people who suffer abuse have some kind of cognitive disability that prevents them from communicating effectively, and in some cases they are not believed when they report their situation; also, the victim may be reticent to report their situation of abuse. Considering the special vulnerability of these victims, the main objective of this study is to identify the key initiatives in Spain that have been implemented by the formal crime control institutions in response to this phenomenon. Hence, after analysing the most recent data regarding the abuse of elderly people in Spain (2019-2024), the different actions of the State Prosecutor's Office are explained, concerning both the detection and the prevention of this phenomenon.

Author

• César Guardia, University of the Basque Country