On 15 June 2023, Deputy Ombudswoman Tatjana Vlašić participated in a panel discussion titled “Older Persons Deserve Respect, Not Violence,” organized by the Gender Equality Committee of the City of Čakovec and the Gender Equality Committee of Međimurje County, marking World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.
The event was opened with remarks by the Mayor of Čakovec, Ms. Ljerka Cividini; President of the Gender Equality Committee of Međimurje County, Ms. Franciska Ćetković; Head of the Administrative Department for Health and Social Welfare of Međimurje County, Ms. Sonja Tošić Grlač; Head of the Family Centre – Međimurje County Branch Office, Ms. Lidija Vinković; and representative of the Čakovec City Red Cross Society, Ms. Vlatka Vincetić. They briefly addressed the issue of violence against older persons and shared their experiences in their respective fields.
Deputy Ombudswoman Tatjana Vlašić emphasized that the sources of data used by the Ombudswoman include complaints from older persons, including residents of care homes and their family members, as well as complaints from employees, civil society organizations, academic research, data from state administration bodies, and field work: visits to rural areas and conversations with local residents and local and regional self-government units, as well as visits to care homes for older persons (these visits provide direct insight into the human rights situation in such institutions).
The issue of violence against older persons was only officially recognized in 2018, when, upon the recommendation of the Ombudswoman, older persons were included in the Family Violence Protection Act (FVPA).
Although the Family Violence Protection Act (FVPA) grants older persons special protection as victims of domestic violence, in the Republic of Croatia, data on violence experienced by older persons in their own homes—despite being on the rise—remains only partially available, while data on violence in care homes for older persons is not collected.
The complaints received raised the issue of how well competent authorities are able to recognize violence against older persons. For example, while disrupted family relationships and conflicts arising from inheritance expectations are often triggers, such conflicts are primarily treated as property-law disputes falling under the jurisdiction of the courts. Therefore, in her 2022 Annual Report, the Ombudswoman issued several recommendations—including those calling for the training of social workers and police officers on all forms of violence against older persons, and the establishment of a working group to monitor occurrences of such violence, which would ensure the exchange of information among all key stakeholders.