Elder Justice

Crime News Insider

Deputy DA Scott Pirrello joins the podcast to discuss his fight against elder abuse.

Background: The Wall Street Journal recently reported a surge in elder abuse cases, stoked by the pandemic. “Elder Abuse Spreads, Stoked by the Pandemic.”

In Pittsburgh, 2 people were initially arrested for elder abuse for neglecting the care of a 76 year old woman, and used the woman’s money for their personal use and admitted to not bathing her possibly for years. A third person also in charge of caring for her was arrested the next day on December 23, 2021.

According to the National Center on Elder Abuse, as of 2018 there were 52.4 million adults 65 and over in the United States. For the first time, in 2034, it is anticipated that older Americans will outnumber children. Global estimates from a recent meta-analysis reflect that one in six elders, or 15.7%, in the community experienced past year abuse.

Bio: Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello is the Head of Elder Abuse Prosecutions for the San Diego District Attorney’s Office and has been a prosecutor for 16 years. Since 2009, Scott has been assigned to the Family Protection Division prosecuting Elder Abuse, Domestic Violence, and Child Abuse cases. Scott now focuses exclusively on prosecuting all varieties of Elder Abuse including physical, financial, sexual, and neglect cases. Scott is an expert in Elder Abuse enforcement, prosecution, and on the multi-disciplinary team approach to Elder Abuse prevention.

Check out his Op-Ed in the San Diego Union Tribune, entitled "We need more than education to stop elder scams. We need law enforcement."

Laws on the Books Quiz: 3 are real, 1 is fake; can you guess which one is the fake?

A. In Japan, the country with the oldest population, elder abuse laws prohibit caregivers from committing psychological abuse, including negative or injurious speech.

B. In Niger, the country with the youngest population, it’s illegal to import an elder from another country in order to collect the government’s elder caregiver benefits.

C. In the United States, in 1986, the “Gray Panthers” successfully lobbied Congress to prohibit employers from imposing a mandatory retirement at the age of 70.

D. In China, it’s illegal to neglect or snub elderly parents.

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this podcast are solely of the speakers and do not reflect the views of the Deputy DA's Association nor the District Attorney.

Questions and comments can be emailed to [e-mail].

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Image by: Pixabay user Michael Gaida.