Seoul City Expands Elder Abuse Dedicated Agencies to 4 Zones... Joint Inspections with Police for 'High-Risk Households'

Announcement of Strengthened Prevention and Recurrence Measures on 'Elder Abuse Prevention Day'
Opening of 'Dongbu Elder Protection Center' in Second Half... Reporting, Investigation, Judgment, and Follow-up Management by 4 Regions
High-Risk Households Reported Twice or More to Have Joint Inspection System with Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] To mark the ‘Elder Abuse Prevention Day,’ the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced measures to expand the ‘Elder Protection Specialized Agencies,’ which are dedicated to responding to elder abuse, into four regions and to operate a joint response system with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency for high-risk households.

On the 15th, Seoul City stated that it will implement preventive measures to strengthen responses to elder abuse, which includes physical, mental, emotional, and sexual violence, economic exploitation, cruel treatment, abandonment, or neglect of the elderly.

Currently, Seoul operates three ‘Elder Protection Specialized Agencies’ (Southern, Northern, and Western) that handle the entire process from reporting and investigating elder abuse to determining abuse cases and post-management. During the victim-offender separation stage, ‘Shelters exclusively for abused elderly’ are operated to protect victims, and healing programs such as physical and mental treatment costs and psychological counseling are also supported.

This year, Seoul plans to open an additional ‘Eastern Elder Protection Specialized Agency,’ establishing a system covering four regions for more meticulous management. Currently, each of the three agencies is responsible for 8 to 9 autonomous districts, but with the addition of one more agency, the number of districts per agency will be reduced to 5 to 7, enabling more systematic and efficient preventive activities.

For high-risk households that have been reported more than twice to either the Elder Protection Specialized Agencies or police stations, the city, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, and Elder Protection Specialized Agencies will establish a joint response system and conduct joint inspections. The goal is to observe the daily lives of abused elderly victims to detect the possibility of abuse or re-abuse and to raise awareness among perpetrators. This will be conducted from mid-June to the end of July, with plans to explore the possibility of expansion thereafter.

Seoul will also initiate case management through collaboration among the city, Elder Protection Specialized Agencies, and Home Care Support Service Centers. The aim is to prevent continuous and repeated abuse. When the Elder Protection Specialized Agencies select households at high risk of re-abuse from reported cases, the Home Care Support Service Centers, which provide home services for the elderly, will routinely monitor these households for any abnormal signs.

According to the 2020 Seoul Elder Abuse Status compiled by the Seoul Welfare Foundation based on the operational performance of three Elder Protection Specialized Agencies, out of 2,081 elder abuse reports received last year, 677 cases (32.5%) were confirmed as abuse cases. This represents an approximately 26.5% increase compared to 535 cases in 2019.

The most common type of elder abuse was emotional abuse at 52.0%, followed by physical abuse at 39.2%. Female victims accounted for 78.9%, while male perpetrators accounted for 79.9%. The majority of abuse incidents (94.8%) occurred within the home. It was also found that 80.4% of victims lived with family members or others.

Meanwhile, to commemorate ‘Elder Abuse Prevention Day,’ the three Elder Protection Specialized Agencies in Seoul will hold a photo exhibition on elder human rights on the 15th at Seokchon Lake in Songpa-gu to raise awareness about elder abuse and foster empathy and respect for the elderly. Kim Sun-soon, Director of Seoul’s Welfare Policy Office, said, “It is regrettable that elder abuse cases are gradually increasing amid rapid aging. Seoul will upgrade the existing elder abuse prevention and response system to fully focus on prevention and recurrence prevention. We will do our best to create a ‘Healthy and Safe Seoul without Abuse.’”