KINGSTON, Jamaica-Family members and caregivers are the biggest abusers of elderly Jamaicans, according to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS).

On Tuesday, the MLSS presented statistics in its submission to a Senate committee that’s considering legislation to better protect Jamaica’s elderly population.

Of the 134 cases of abuse reported to the National Council for Senior Citizens (NCSC) between 2019 and 2024, 77 of the abusers were family members. Caregivers come next with 42, followed by strangers with nine and close contacts at six. The categories of abuse listed are neglect, financial, physical, emotional and sexual.

Financial abuse was number one overall, accounting for 43 of the 134 reported cases. This was followed by 39 cases of neglect/abandonment; 26 cases of physical abuse; 24 cases of emotional abuse; and two cases of sexual abuse.

The two sexual abuse cases related to females, while the 26 physical abuse cases were split 14-12 with more females affected. Twenty-eight of the 43 cases listed as financial abuse involved females, while females outnumbered males two to one in the category of emotional abuse, 16 to eight. Under neglect/abandonment, 21 females were affected and 18 males.