Older people who have been the victims of crime are often let down by the police and wider criminal justice system which does not always understand their needs and experiences, according to a new report by inspectors.
The report – The poor relation: The police and Crown Prosecution Service’s response to crimes against older people – praised the work of police officers in their initial dealings with older victims of crime, including attending promptly to reports of crime from older victims. But afterwards, officers struggled to deal with some of the complex needs of older people.
Of the 192 cases the inspectorates looked at in detail, victim care was found to be not good enough in 101, and the Victims’ Code had been complied with on only 97 occasions.
HM Inspector of Constabulary, Wendy Williams, said: “As people are living increasingly longer, it is imperative that the needs of older people are properly understood by those charged with protecting them. While the care and concern of police officers for all victims of crime cannot be doubted, older victims often present unique challenges which need to be considered.
“Unfortunately, our inspection found that older people are often not treated according to their needs by the criminal justice system. A good start would be to make sure assessments are consistently made of victims’ needs. We want to see a sharper focus on older people, and the problems they face. For example, we believe that the police and the CPS can work together better to understand the problem and develop strategies for how to respond.
“We are also concerned about the lack of consistent adult safeguarding arrangements. We want this inspection to kick-start the change and we hope that our recommendations will make all vulnerable people safer.”
The inspectorate says the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) should, within six months, agree a definition of what constitutes an older victim and take a co-ordinated approach. For the full report visit https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmicfrs/publications/crimes-against-older-people/.
HMICFRS (Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services) and Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) commissioned BritainThinks to interview older victims of crime about their experiences.
Scams
Age UK Enfield is one of five local Age UK groups in London that took part in a pilot ‘Scams Prevention and Victim Support‘, working with Action Fraud and the National Centre for Post-Qualifying Social Work at Bournemouth University.
