Welcome to Action on Elder Abuse England Action on Elder Abuse (AEA) England works to protect older people from abuse and neglect. We support those experiencing, or at risk of, abuse, as well as raising awareness and advocating effective prevention We’re part of the organisation, Action on Elder Abuse, which works across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and we were the first charity to address elder abuse and the only charity in the UK working on the issue exclusively today. We were established back in 1993 to provide a tailored service to older people, their families/carers and practitioners. Our work is very much about taking an inclusive and partnership approach as much as possible and we have extensive experience of how abuse manifests and affects so many older people. We work to challenge that. Sign up for our newsletter here About AEA England Who we are Our staff What we do Campaigning Conferences and Events Get involved Volunteer with us Fundraise for us Support our campaigns Membership Help in England Helpline Elder Abuse Recovery Service Resources and Leaflets Other Organisations Practitioners AEA Resources How we help In England Campaigning in England We will regularly update this page to keep you informed about the issues we are campaigning on. Keep an eye out for news on future campaigns as it breaks and find out how you can support them. Elder abuse is a crime - now let's make it one The Criminal Justice system is failing to protect older victims of abuse and neglect. Most cases are never prosecuted – although many should be – and police cautions are used as a cheap and easy way of avoiding the time and cost of prosecution (cautions are not criminal convictions). And even when cases are taken to court the result is invariably a suspended sentence or community service. When is this going to end? It doesn’t seem to matter how cruel someone is to a frail older person, or when they inflict their cruelty, our Criminal Justice System will still deliver what amounts to only a mild rebuke to the perpetrator. Is it any wonder that abuse continues and continues? We are proposing an aggravated offence of elder abuse that would take account of the frailty of victims and the circumstances of the abuse. Theft, for example does not kill younger victims, but it can kill older ones because trauma has a negative effect on the immune system of older people. if we rightly accept the argument about ‘aggravated offences’ for racially/religiously motivated crimes, why not for older people? Our campaign to challenge this is running across all four of the nations that make up Action on Elder Abuse. If you agree with us then please sign our petition to the Home Office demanding that the abuse and neglect of older people be made a crime. Download our briefing paper Download our questions and answers document If you would like an electronic copy of our full report contact [email protected]