Charity calls for needs of older survivors in England and Wales to be properly met

More than 200,000 people aged 60 to 74 suffered domestic abuse in England and Wales in one year, according to new figures from Age UK, which warned that the total could be higher due to unrecorded abuse.

The charity revealed that one in four victims of recorded domestic homicides were over the age of 60. It said it feared for the safety of thousands more due to people’s reluctance or inability to report abuse by loved ones or carers. The National Crime Survey does not record data for people over the age of 74, so many older people were not included in the figures, Age UK said.

“There’s a widespread misconception that domestic abuse only happens to younger people but sadly hundreds of thousands of older people are affected, too,” said Caroline Abrahams, Age UK’s charity director.

“It’s high time that this was fully recognised by the law, policy and practice so that the needs of older survivors can be identified and properly met.”

The report is being launched on the same day that the domestic abuse bill will receive its second reading in parliament. In their report, Age UK calls for the final version of the bill, that will form part of the Queen’s speech, to include the views and needs of older people.

In 2018-19, Age UK said it received 655 enquiries relating to domestic abuse via its advice line. National data for 2017 shows that more than 200,000 people aged 60 to 74 experienced domestic abuse in England and Wales.

Using data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales, Age UK found that two in three older victims of domestic violence were female and four in five perpetrators were male. Older people were almost equally likely to be killed by a partner or spouse as they were by their adult children or grandchildren.

Laura, 81, has endured abuse by her husband, Henry – not their real names – throughout their marriage. “Fifty seven years of marriage. People say: ‘Congratulations, what an achievement!’ If only they knew,” she said.

“His memory has started to fail now and he gets frustrated and angr. Thankfully, problems with his hip mean he can’t manage the stairs anymore so he sleeps downstairs and allows me to sleep upstairs. Night-time is my favourite part of the day. I can rest knowing he can’t get to me and feel safe for the first time in years. I lie in bed and my thoughts are completely my own.”

The report, which is backed by the Women’s Aid Foundation, said older survivors of domestic abuse could face significant barriers when asking for help or when trying to leave an abusive relationship.

“These barriers can be severe for survivors who have been subject to years of prolonged abuse, are isolated within a particular community through language or culture, are experiencing long-term health impacts or disabilities, or those who are reliant on their abuser for their care or money,” Abrahams said.

Adina Claire, the acting co-chief executive of Women’s Aid, said: “Domestic abuse can happen to any woman, regardless of age. We know, however, that some older women might not recognise their experience as domestic abuse or may find it difficult to ask for help because they are dependent on their abuser.

“We welcome Age UK‘s recommendations for the Domestic abuse bill, such as collecting data on all ages and embedding policy and practice across health and social care which will transform the support provided to older survivors, improving and saving lives. It is vital that their needs are considered in this legislation.”

Prior to 2017, the crime survey only asked people up to 59-years-old if they were experiencing domestic violence. The Home Office said that age limit wasn’t removed completely because “testing showed the proportion of people [answering the question] decreased significantly for those aged 75 and over”.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “This government is committed to tackling violence against older people. Like other forms of abuse, attacks on older people are all too often hidden behind closed doors and so tackling it requires a collective effort.

“We have appointed a designate Domestic Abuse Commissioner to provide public leadership on domestic abuse issues and play a key role in overseeing and monitoring provision of domestic abuse services in England and Wales.”