Evidence of meeting #26 for Justice and Human Rights in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was harm.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Anju Dhillon Liberal Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle, QC
Are there elders who are approaching you when it comes to denouncing what's going on?
Chief Executive Officer, Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario
A lot of the time, an older adult is reluctant to disclose what's happening because the very person who is abusing them is also the one they rely on for the basic necessities of life, so they're very guarded in terms of revealing what's actually happening. Unlike in children's abusive situations, where you can call children's aid, there are really no adult protective services that you can pick up the phone and call and someone suddenly swoops in and changes what's happening in your home.
We need to be a bit more concerted in our efforts of reaching out to older populations and supporting them while they deal with these issues.
Liberal
Anthony Housefather Liberal Mount Royal, QC
Thank you very much.
I want to come back to that because, of course, I agree that the number of senior scams going on is horrendous in terms of the grandparents scam and all of this. There's an increased amount of fraud against seniors that we need to educate about and deal with.
Coming back to coercive control, which is a criminal offence, I agree that we need to eventually expand this limited definition of coercive control to a broader group, like they do in the U.K. now in England and in one state in Australia. One of the most difficult things is that spouses don't have to live with one another at a certain point. With children and parents, it's harder to disentangle.
Do you believe that making this a criminal offence will cause more seniors to speak out and go to the police, or do you think the problem seniors have with denouncing this will just remain?
Bloc
The Vice-Chair (Rhéal Éloi Fortin) Bloc Rhéal Fortin
Your time is up, Mr. Housefather, but I'll give Ms. Hajek a few seconds to answer your question.
Chief Executive Officer, Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario
It will take more than a few seconds. I would be happy to provide additional information in a written brief.
Thank you.
Bloc
The Vice-Chair (Rhéal Éloi Fortin) Bloc Rhéal Fortin
Thank you very much, Ms. Hajek.
Thank you to all the witnesses for being here today. I apologize for the interruptions; unfortunately, that is a constraint we are under.
Your testimony is important to help us better understand various situations and find the most appropriate solutions.
If any of you want to send us additional information or documents, please feel free to do so. The clerk will get them to us.
Thank you and have a nice evening.