Feeling helpless and vulnerable in their twilight years, elderly Jamaicans are increasingly becoming prisoners in their homes as the murder rate among Jamaicans 51 years and older maintains its upward momentum.

Murders in that segment of the population have climbed every year since 2000, the only category in which killings have not decreased, even once, over the last five years. There has also been a steady increase in the number of elderly people shot and injured in that period, according to police data.

“It’s causing a lot of depression and anxiety,” said Psychologist Dr Ruth Doorbar who has seen cases in her practice where just the fear of being yet another victim of violence has been taking an emotional toll on the elderly.

“I find that there are a number of elderly people who won’t go out of their homes. They’re housebound,” she said. “They feel it’s only okay to go to a next-door neighbour, unless they have an adult offspring who would be available to take them where they need to go. Otherwise, they’re not going.”

The National Council for Senior Citizens (NCSC), a state-run agency that operates out of the Ministry of Labour’s offices across the island, is also worried about the levels of violent crimes committed against the elderly, who make up roughly 10 per cent of the island’s population.

“We have been concerned about the present spate of crime and violence, especially as it affects our older persons,” said NCSC director, Beverly Hall-Taylor. “I know that at the council meeting held last November, it was brought to our attention.”

The council offers safety tips, to its members across the island, on how to keep safe. But the tips were not enough to prevent the August 2002 killing of 68 year-old Evelyn Powell, the organisation’s secretary for the St Mary Senior Citizens’ Club Committee, and her 88 year-old stepfather Simeon Harris.

The two were killed by their handyman, 22 year-old Donovan Thompson, who was last year sentenced to life behind bars for slashing the seniors’ throats.

Powell and Harris were among the 14 people aged 60 and over who were killed in St Mary between 2000 and 2004, according to the parish’s Senior Citizens’ Club. The club was rocked by the brutal murders of its secretary and Harris, who was a registered shut-in. Members were also shaken by the 2004 killing of 56 year-old Winston Chin and his 50 year-old wife, Aileen.

They were gunned down at their Claremont home in the parish at about 8:30 pm on July 3. Gunmen opened fire as the couple drove up to their gate and Winston was hit. His wife ran from their vehicle but was chased and shot to death. Also on the sordid obituary of the elderly killed in St Mary over the last five years were:

. Ronald Hamilton, 71 year-old farmer from Crab Hall in Annotto Bay

. Alan Jones, 63 year-old farmer from Governors Pen, and

. Pearline Thompson, 79 year-old higgler from Cool Spring.

Hamilton, Jones and Thompson were killed in 2000 while the murder of Leroy Renford, a 61 year-old farmer from Post Road in Pear Tree Grove, followed in 2001. In 2002, killers snuffed out the lives of:

. Lloyd Gocan, a 62 year-old labourer from Farquharson Lane

. Mavis and Benjamin Grant, 65 and 78 respectively, farmers of Quebec, and

. Clayton Wade, 65 year-old gardener from Retreat.

An Islington bush doctor, 65 year-old Enid Thompson, was killed in 2003. So too was 73 year-old farmer Evadney Hudson from Farm Pen Gayle. And last November, there was the murder of 68 year-old businessman Neville Walters from Boscobel Heights.

But those killings of elderly people in St Mary are said to be only the tip of the iceberg. Over the last five years, 469 people aged 51 and older have been murdered across the island. With the graph pointing consistently up, the figures showed:

. 123 killed in 2004

. 94 in 2003

. 90 in 2002

. 89 in 2001, and

. 73 in 2000.

President of the Jamaica Pensioners’ Association Clinton Davis said the climbing murder figures among the elderly was cause for concern.

“I would be quite concerned, and even more so if I could associate it with the particular group of elderly over which I am a shepherd (pensioners),” he said.

By international standards, people 60 and over are described as elderly but the local police data on major crime trends lump all persons 51 and over into one category and there is no breakdown to show how many of the island’s pensioners – 60 years and older – have been murdered.

The data show that over the last five years, more than 4,000 people 51 and older were victims of major crimes across the country:

. 384 of them were shot and injured

. 469 were murdered

. 1,218 were robbed, and

. 2,022 of them had their homes broken into.

Another 136 women over 51 were raped over the last five years.

The elderly were the victims of 11.1 per cent of the 38,200 major crimes committed over the last five years.

Last week, as he reacted to the brutal murder of three young children in St Mary, Prime Minister P J Patterson also spoke about the spilling of the blood of women and the elderly.

“No country can tolerate this level of violence that is being perpetrated against its people, including our women and the elderly,” the prime minister said.

For elderly people who are afraid to leave home and who have become depressed and anxious, psychologist Doorbar recommended avoiding the (television) news, listening to calming music and making plans to go out with others.

“Watching the 7 o’clock and the 8 o’clock news at night is a chore, and it just upsets people; and there is nothing they can do about it so they might as well listen to some music,” Doorbar said.