Approximately a month ago, it was reported that an Ontario woman had been charged criminally in relation to an elder abuse investigation. The woman will apparently be appearing in court this Monday, June 5, 2017.
The Ontario Provincial Police attended at a home in Warwick Township, Ontario to assist health-care workers in checking on the well-being of a resident. The home was in a state of squalor, and upon searching the house, they located an elderly woman who was incoherent, in need of medical intervention, and was taken to hospital.
We have previously blogged about the criminal consequences of elder abuse in the context of a financial abuse situation (here and here). However, financial elder abuse is not the only form of abuse that can constitute a crime. Physical, emotional and mental abuse, as well as neglect, can also lead to criminal charges. This can be seen in the situation of the elderly woman in Warwick Township, where a woman was charged with failure to provide the necessaries of life in relation to the elderly woman’s condition after the elderly woman had been found in ill-health and in a filthy environment.
Section 215(1) of the Criminal Code of Canada, R.S.C., 1985, c. C-46 establishes a legal duty for every one to provide necessaries of life to a person under his or her charge if that person (i) is unable, by reason of detention, age, illness, mental disorder or other cause, to withdraw him or herself from that charge, and (ii) is unable to provide him or herself with necessaries of life. Section 215(2) makes it an offence if a person fails to perform that duty if the failure “endangers the life of the person to whom the duty is owed or is likely to cause the health of that person to be injured permanently.” The punishment for this offence can be imprisonment for up to five years for an indictable offence, or imprisonment for up to 18 months on summary conviction.
The above is of course only one example of a criminal offence that may arise as a result of elder abuse. Many types of elder abuse will fall under the general criminal code offences, such as assault, intimidation, theft, and forgery.
The issue of elder abuse is a very real one, and is taken seriously by police and the justice system. It is important for victims of elder abuse, and anyone who suspects elder abuse, to be aware that there are options for reporting the abuse, preventing future abuse, and punishing the abuser.
Thanks for reading,
Rebecca Rauws
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