Elderly suffer in silence as abuse goes unaddressed

Elder abuse remains one of the most underreported social ills in the rural Eastern Cape, a study has found.

This disturbing detail emerged on Wednesday, the first day of the South African Humanities Deans Association (SAHUDA) Conference, hosted by Walter Sisulu University.

Research presented at the conference by Asavela Mbumbulu, a Bachelor of Social Sciences Honours graduate, revealed how police officers demonstrated a lack of urgency in attending to the cases of elder abuse despite being highly prevalent.

“My findings were that there are very high rates of elder abuse, but it’s not really considered a serious issue. When you go to police stations, you’ll find desks for child abuse or gender-based violence, but elder abuse is never really recognised as a crime. So, my study found that there are extreme rates of abuse, yet these cases are not treated with the urgency they deserve,” said Mbumbulu.

The SAHUDA event, which attracts scholars, researchers, and practitioners, is currently underway at WSU’s Mthatha Campus and runs until Friday.

Mbumbulu’s research work was inspired by a horrific incident in which her grandmother lost a close friend and fellow church member following a burglary that turned into a deadly sexual and physical assault two years ago.

Disturbingly, she noted that despite reports made to the local South African Police Services (SAPS) and community leaders, justice failed to prevail.

It was these deeply personal incidents that prompted Mbumbulu to undertake her study titled: The Prevalence of Elderly Abuse Amongst the Elderly.

Mbumbulu also noted a separate instance where police officers allegedly declined to open a case for another elderly woman who had been called a “witch” by the community, citing a lack of evidence.

Her study, undertaken at a home for the aged, painted a troubling picture of physical, financial, sexual, and emotional abuse of elders at the hands of close family and community members before eventually being hauled off to residential care facilities.

“We need to raise awareness about elder abuse because many people don’t even realise what it looks like. For example, even my mother sometimes doesn’t see that certain behaviours — like shouting at or ignoring an elderly person — can be emotional abuse. So there should be education and awareness for everyone to understand what elder abuse really is,” said Mbumbulu.

In addition to societal awareness, Mbumbulu urged authorities and policymakers to fund more facilities or safe spaces where victims of elder abuse can be protected and cared for, whilst strengthening laws that protect the elderly.

The SAHUDA Conference aims to explore how humanities disciplines are reimagined to impact social change and justice, economic development, relevant higher education, and cultural innovation, among other key aspects.

It has been running for three years.