Home » News » Retirees are affected by one negative trend. The Czechia is no exception

Retirees are affected by one negative trend. The Czechia is no exception

For example, 92-year-old Josef lived with his daughter and from time to time he also met his granddaughter. Despite his advanced age, he was active and went shopping. But only a few of his neighbors knew of the horrors he had to endure at home. Shouting and vulgar insults, as well as banging on doors and smashing dishes, were the order of the day. He informed about it server idnes.cz.

The Elpida Education Center for the Elderly points out that it is the elderly who have perhaps all the qualities of victims of domestic violence, making them the easiest target. “They have a deteriorating state of health, are less independent and live to some extent in social isolation – either because they are not physically well off or because they are naturally losing contact with age,” the organization warns.

The Police of the Czech Republic, which is on its own, also agrees with it pages confirms that it is seniors who are often lonely, sick, weak, helpless, frightened, melancholic, distrustful or, conversely, very trusting, which makes them easy to manipulate.

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As already mentioned, according to the Czech Statistical Office, 11.6% of people over the age of 60 have experienced mental abuse, more than 6% have been victims of economic violence, 4.2% have been neglected and 2.6% have been physically assaulted, with each he also went through sexual harassment.

“In the beginning, there is often humiliation, which unfortunately leads to physical abuse after years,” warned Jaroslav Lorman, executive director of ŽIVOT 90.

“Neglect and blackmail are also common. We also encounter cases where, in addition to psychological violence in the form of humiliation, ridicule and coercion, personal freedom is restricted – a family living together with a senior forbids him to use certain parts of the house, turn off water or heat, or otherwise, it makes it clear to the senior that he is not one whose living needs would be respected in the house, “she shared Kateřina Bohatá, head of the Elpida Center’s Seniors’ Line, with the experiences with which seniors often confide.

The ninety-two-year-old man had problems not only with his daughter vulgarly attacking him, but also with stealing money and trying to lock him up in psychiatry, although there was no reason to do so.

The cause must be found in the remnants of the pre-November regime

“Seniors are the most numerous group of citizens who believed in change after 1989, so they are also the most disappointed with developments after 30 years. After 1989, the lives of seniors in the Czech Republic are endangered due to the adopted model of behavior from the times of deep communism, which best controls the model of how to treat a citizen weakened by age and health, “said Jitka Hoplíčková, director of the Foundation for the Construction of Pensions.

“Often the poorly managed life role of the tormentor plays a role – it can be, for example, unemployment, the breakdown of a relationship, alcohol problems or other addictions. It often happens that older parents help their child in a difficult situation – offer housing or pay installments, but then the situation spirals out of control and initial help begins to be required permanently, “Bohatá said, explaining that aggressors usually become their own children of seniors.

When it comes to gender, men and women are equally at risk. In addition to the family, however, there is violence against the elderly in care facilities and other institutions.

This is pointed out by the police themselves. “Personnel who intentionally or negligently neglect the care of the elderly through an insensitive approach thus reach the level of the perpetrator,” the Czech police warned on its website, noting that the lack of services provided, as well as insufficient information about rights, etc. .

“Seniors don’t usually ask for their own help. They often blame themselves for the various hardships that happen to them,” Lorman pointed out the sad fact that victims seldom seek help.

In addition, research by the Institute of Criminology has shown that the vast majority of abused people do not even know where to seek help. Crisis lines, to which more people turn year after year, offer them some help in this direction.

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  • Violence, illustration photo


“The number of calls over the years is growing slightly, which may be evidence of a positive trend – it does not necessarily mean that there are more cases of violence against seniors, but that there are more seniors asking for help if they encounter domestic violence.” praised the leader of the Seniors’ Line.

“In these cases, we have 188 endangered people aged 65 and over last year,” said David Schön, a spokesman for the police presidium, adding that official statistics on domestic violence against the elderly were not kept.

At the same time, the rich also warned that many old people are afraid to seek help due to fears of a possible worsening of the situation.

“Would they have to move? Would they lose the only contact they have with their son? But sometimes it turns out that seniors are blocked from seeking widespread myths and half-truths – for example, that when domestic violence is reported, the police come immediately and “they will talk to the tormentor, which will make the situation worse. Or that they will always have to leave the residence,” she explained.

“If you feel that a senior is being mistreated in your home or neighborhood, for example, contact the police directly,” Lorman appealed to the neighborhood, citing Mr. Josef’s granddaughter, who filed a criminal complaint against her mother. stealing and torturing a person because she wanted to save her grandfather.

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