August 18, 2006

Attorney General Corbett announces creation of Elder Abuse Unit

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Corbett said, "By creating an Elder Abuse Unit, I am directing the Office in a new and focused initiative to fight the exploitation of our seniors.  The sole mission of the Elder Abuse Unit will be to investigate and prosecute all forms of abuse of the elderly including financial exploitation, physical abuse and sexual assault."

Corbett said, "Just as the Attorney General's Office has developed an expertise in fighting drug dealers throughout the state with prosecutors and narcotics agents who focus solely on drug investigations, the single purpose of prosecutors and the agents of the Elder Abuse Unit will be to pursue those who prey on our senior citizens."

Corbett explained that Pennsylvania has the third highest percentage of senior citizens in the nation with nearly 2 million residents over the age of 65. 

 As our population of senior citizens continues to rise, Corbett said, unfortunately so does the number of crimes and scams directed at them. 

Corbett said the financial exploitation of Pennsylvania seniors takes various forms including foreign lottery scams, investment scams with "too good to be true" rates of returns and various forms of identity theft.

Corbett said all of these scams have the goal of taking control of a senior citizen's monetary possessions, which often destroy a senior's credit, their ability to finance their own care and wipe out any assets that a senior may want to leave to their family.

"Sadly, seniors often suffer from physical violence, emotional abuse, neglect and frequently the abuse comes from those who are entrusted with their care," said Corbett.

He said cases of seniors being exploited are a growing concern, particularly incidents involving infirm citizens who are unable to fight back or report the crime.

The Elder Abuse Unit will be comprised of 26 prosecutors, agents and support staff from the Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection, Health Care Section, Civil Rights Section, Charitable Trusts and Organizations Section, Criminal Prosecution Section, Insurance Fraud Section and the Medicaid Fraud Control Section. 

The unit will be led by Executive Deputy Attorney General Alexis Barbieri.

He explained that the Attorney General's Office presently investigates and prosecutes elder abuse cases throughout the office, however by creating a special unit with prosecutors and agents specifically trained in elder abuse cases, the efficiency and effectiveness in which these cases are investigated and prosecuted will be enhanced.

Corbett said that when an elder abuse case is opened, it will be assigned to one of the prosecutors in the Elder Abuse Unit.  The prosecutors will give the cases their highest priority and ensure that they are thoroughly investigated in a timely manner.

Corbett said the Elder Abuse Unit will also accept referrals from district attorneys' offices in which the prosecutors do not have the investigative resources or expertise to handle what are often complex cases.  He said that the Elder Abuse Unit will also work with the Pennsylvania Departments of Aging, Banking, Insurance, Health and Military and Veterans Affairs.

Corbett said that the Elder Abuse Unit will also have a large public education component.  He said members of the Elder Abuse Unit will travel throughout the Commonwealth putting on seminars for senior citizens, health care providers and family members of senior citizens. 

Additionally, Corbett said, the Elder Abuse Unit will conduct training for law enforcement officials throughout Pennsylvania helping them to recognize the various forms of elder abuse.  Corbett noted that in June, the first training seminar was held in Harrisburg for law enforcement throughout the state.

For more information about the Attorney General's Elder Abuse Unit contact the Attorney General's Press Office at 717-787-5211 or log onto www.attorneygeneral.gov.  To report elder abuse, contact the Attorney General's Elder Abuse Hotline at 1-866-623-2137.