This week, a 77-year-old man died after being attacked with a blow to the chest, in Santos, on the coast of São Paulo. According to the Military Police, the attack occurred when the elderly man was crossing the street with his grandson. The episode takes place during the week of World Violence Against Elderly Awareness Day, which takes place annually on June 15th.
Dial 100, responsible for receiving reports of aggression against the elderly, registered an increase of 14% in the first half of 2024, compared to the same period of the previous year. In the first six months of 2023, more than 65 thousand reports of violence were recorded.
In the same period in 2024, more than 74 thousand complaints reached the Ministry of Human Rights. Violence against elderly people is one of the topics addressed by the ministry in June.
Ministry credits increase in numbers to positive factors
In a statement made to CNN the National Secretary for the Rights of the Elderly, Alexandre da Silva, explains that the numbers, although alarming, represent the credibility of the reporting channel.
“We managed to regain the credibility and expansion of Dial 100, which is our ombudsman, also via social media and by telephone”, points out Alexandre.
In addition to the effectiveness of the reporting channels, the dissemination and awareness of this public is what helps the ministry to register more cases. In addition to the blatant violence, as in the case of the 77-year-old man, there is still a lot of alienation regarding the rights of this public.
“This literacy that we are creating is very important, which helps elderly people to identify the types of violence that affect them”, adds Alexandre.
What measures have been adopted to address the matter?
In the spokesperson’s view, the secretariat does the work of articulating and strengthening programs with other ministries. For him, it is necessary to “strengthen the network of actors involved in protecting the rights of elderly people”.
One of the measures he defends is the strengthening of the Aging in Territories Program, launched in March this year, which aims to create bodies that are responsible for managing public policies in states and municipalities.
Violence of financial and property origins leads the ranking
Among the various forms of violence, those of financial and property origin stand out as the most frequent, causing significant material and emotional damage to victims. The secretary points out that many elderly people are not aware of their rights and how to protect themselves against scams and fraud.
“We want to provide a face-to-face service so we can talk about loans, for example, in more accessible language, simple language”, reveals Alexandre da Silva.
Preventive actions and reporting
For the National Secretary for the Rights of the Elderly, it is necessary to combat forms of violence through measures that promote the protection of the elderly, the prevention of crimes and the punishment of those responsible with “the participation of the entire segment of society”.
In his view, people need to not naturalize any situation of aggression. And to do so, issue an alert.
“If someone took your money, they didn’t let you manage your own money, your benefits, your retirement, and, if you didn’t like this behavior, report it!”, reinforces Alexandre.
According to Alexandre, the complaint is the first step for the state to fulfill its role. “It is the State’s role to find ways to make elderly people feel increasingly safe and with respect for their rights”, concludes Silva.
Source: CNN Brasil
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