Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week 2025: Shining a light on an uncomfortable subject

Understanding older people’s experiences of abuse in all its forms is crucial to ensure that everyone affected by abuse, regardless of their age or the circumstances they find themselves in, can access the support they need.

This includes older people’s experiences of sexual abuse, which has a devastating impact on people’s lives.

For some older people, sexual abuse may begin in later life, while others may carry with them into older age very real, often unresolved, trauma relating to sexual abuse that occurred in the past.

Data relating to older people’s experiences of sexual abuse is very limited, but research undertaken by the Wales Violence Prevention Unit[1] found that Welsh police forces recorded 935 sexual offences against older people during a 5-year period, which means an offence of this kind being recorded roughly every other day. We know, however, that sexual abuse is significantly underreported so the true number is likely to be far higher.

This research also highlighted that the most common age of perpetrators of sexual offences against older people was 75-84, something that might challenge preconceptions about who commits these kinds of crimes. Similarly, the research found that the most common location for sexual offences against older people to occur is within a ‘home or dwelling’, rather than other settings that are often given a more prominent focus in the media.

Recognising the realities of older people’s experiences is crucial to maximise opportunities to identify and prevent abuse, alongside ensuring that action, resources and support are targeted appropriately and effectively.

This includes understanding older people’s needs so that the right services can be delivered, as well as tackling the barriers that can prevent older people from seeking help, which can include shame or stigma, beliefs that abuse is a private matter, fear of the consequences of speaking out, or assumptions that services and support are only available for younger people.

Sexual abuse is an issue that is often very hidden and an uncomfortable topic for discussion and debate, which can lead to inaction from policy- and decision-makers.

That’s why I’m working in partnership with organisations across Wales to ensure that tackling the abuse of older people in all its forms is a priority across our public services. This means using data and evidence where this is available, as well as older people’s experiences captured through research and engagement, to make the case for change, promoting good practice and calling for action with a powerful collective voice.

The publication of the Welsh Government’s National Plan to Prevent the Abuse of Older People – the first of its kind in the UK – was an important step forward, but it is now crucial that its ambitions are transformed into meaningful, practical action to protect and support older people.

It’s also hugely important that staff working across our public services have the knowledge and skills they need to recognise abuse and ensure older people can access the right services and support.

Working together to take forward this action in a joined-up way will be crucial to continue to build on the progress we’ve seen in recent years and, much more importantly, to improve older people’s experiences in terms of accessing help.

And alongside this, we must be willing to have open discussions about difficult topics – including sexual abuse – to ensure they are better understood and that the importance of delivering change for older people is fully recognised.

[1] Walker, A. (2024) Violence Against Older People in Wales: August 2024.Wales Violence Prevention Unit, Cardiff – NB, the full report is available to professionals via the Wales Violence Prevention Portal