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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday November 10, 2007 - 25 Elder abuse victims not always able to assist themselves Continued from page 10 much as we think to ourselves, `wow how can somebody do that,' it happens and maybe it doesn't hit that threshold of being criminal but it's very much elder abuse." When the threshold for criminal abuse is crossed and an allegation of elder abuse is made police begin an investigation, but this can be exceedingly difficult as in some cases the victim does not have the ability to assist police. "Seniors who have been abused financially or physically, who do not have the capacity to make informed decisions, have great difficulty assisting you," said Mulholland. "In a lot of criminal investigations the victim helps you, they tell you the story and they are a huge piece of the puzzle. In my portfolio you have to look everywhere else and try to build the story using other evidence, and that can be very challenging and it causes you to have to build a very strong and very tight case." In a startling contrast to the fictitious quickly solved cases shown on television's many crime drama programs Mulholland notes that a case like this can take months of pouring over financial records to conclude. "My last one was four months," he said. "Seniors who have been abused financially or physically, who do not have the capacity to make informed decisions, have great difficulty assisting you." Detective Constable Vince Mulholland tell their adult children that they've been taken advantage of," said Brennan. "They're going to be concerned that their children are going to think they're not capable of managing their finances anymore. People See There page 27 "It can be quite the investment, but somebody has to speak for the victims." Another problem with investigating elder abuse is that police often have no idea it has occurred because the victims seldom report it. "It could be very embarrassing for them," said Brennan. "Perhaps they are being physically abused by an adult child, who has a substance abuse problem. They're not really going to want to tell everyone that. They're not going to want that out there. They're not going to want people to know that this adult child, who they love, is taking all their money." Brennan says elder abuse may also go unreported because the victim is afraid of what the consequences will be for their future if other family members find out they were victimized. "If they've been sending money away to a charity they find out is bogus they're not going to want to Painters P NOVEMBER 17 FREE IN-STORE DEMOS featuring Miraflax Backsplash Tiles & Faux Finishes for your Walls Fi i h f Call store for Details your personality? 10 SAVE % Manor Hall & Pure Performance VIP CUSTOMERS SAVE 20% OFF T Ask about our VIP program. See our Website for details. Painters Place 478 Dundas St. West (Dominion Plaza) Neyagawa & Dundas Oakville 905-257-2061 www.paintersplace.ca Voted Best Paint / Wallpaper Store Again!