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Article: Elder abuse: a national tragedy.
- Article from:
- The FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin
- Article date:
- February 1, 1994
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1994 Federal Bureau of Investigation. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Several year ago, officers of the Austin, Texas, Police Department discovered the partially clothed body of a 68-year-old woman in an apartment she shared with her son. The women wore a diaper fashioned from a vacuum cleaner bag and was found on the kitchen floor in the fetal position. Police later discovered that the victim did not die of any aggressive action--she died of starvation.
Law enforcements officers across the Nation often face similar scenes during their careers. They may even ask themselves whether a crime has been committed. Unfortunately, many officers may not know the answer to that question. They may not recognize the warning signs of elder abuse ...