Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, Heléna Herklots CBE, said:
“I welcome the announcement that the Prime Minister has asked the Law Commission to examine whether legislation could be strengthened so that crimes against older people could be recognised as hate crimes, in cases where the age of the victim has been a factor.
“The proposed change is something that my office has consistently called for as it is not acceptable that current legislation does not recognise these kinds of crimes as hate crimes and does not offer older people the same protection as other groups with protected characteristics.
“Crimes committed against older people because of their age have a significant and long-lasting impact on their health and well-being, and many victims have gone on to experience severe depression and loneliness as a result of the crimes committed against them.
“Addressing the current gaps in the law in this area would be a significant step forward, helping to ensure that there is greater recognition of these kinds of crimes by the criminal justice system and that the punishments and sentences for criminals who commit them fully reflect the nature of the crime committed.”
