The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has published a new policy on crime against older people.

The policy addresses:

• how the CPS will support older people as victims and witnesses of crime;
• what special measures - such as screens in court or video links to their home - are available; and
• what happens if the victim withdraws support or no longer wishes to give evidence.

Mervyn Kohler, Special Adviser at Help the Aged, says: 'The Crown Prosecution Service is to be congratulated on its initiative.

'As our society ages, and more people who may be frail and vulnerable are expecting to live independently and possibly alone, we need to take more seriously the way we approach crimes against older people and, specifically, elder abuse.

'The evidence suggests that much more elder abuse is being perpetrated than reported

'The evidence on elder abuse is scant, but suggests that much more is being perpetrated than reported. Perhaps people need support to make a complaint; perhaps they do not think they will be understood or taken seriously. We simply do not know enough. 

'This CPS initiative is a call to the criminal justice system to up its game.'