JAPAN: First Law to Prevent 'Abuse' of Elderly

TOKYO, Japan, November 1, 2005: Japan has passed a law to prevent abuse of the elderly, the Dubai-based KHALEEJ TIMES reported today. The new law, which comes into effect in April 2006, will protect the rights of the elderly by requiring those who discover abuse to inform local authorities. According to the law, "abuse" is defined as assault that could cause physical injury, verbal abuse, neglecting care, and wrongful management of the property of the elderly. Japan has one of the world's most rapidly ageing societies. Elder abuse is hardly unique to Japan, but the first public revelations last year of its existence were deeply disturbing to a society long so respectful of its senior citizens that there is even a national holiday in their honour. The law will protect the rights of the elderly by requiring those who discover abuse to inform local authorities, who then will be required to investigate each case in cooperation with the police. "Abuse" is defined as assault that could cause physical injury, verbal abuse, neglecting care, and wrongful management of the property of the elderly. April last year Japan released its first survey on elder abuse, finding 1,991 cases. This number is small compared to the United States, which has twice Japan's population and where an estimated 551,000 cases were noted in a late-1990s report, experts say the actual number may be as high as 10,000 and abuse is increasing. One unique aspect of elder abuse in Japan is the relatively high number of seniors who live with their grown children, the result of traditions that have long said caring for aged parents is a filial duty, especially for elder sons. Given that support services for such caregivers are rudimentary at best, experts were not surprised that the survey found that 32 percent of abusers were sons and 21 percent their wives - the ones who often end up doing the most care.