Overview

Our parents, grandparents, aunties and uncles are the treasures of our society. They took care of us in their youth and it's up to us to protect and care for them in their senior years. Sadly, there are many in the world who seek to take advantage of our vulnerable elders. The Elder Abuse Justice Unit (EAJU) in the Prosecuting Attorney's Office was created to prosecute and bring to justice those seeking to harm the ones who raised us. The Elder Abuse Justice Unit prosecutes all felony crimes where the victims are age 60 or older. The unit, established in 2008, vertically prosecutes elder abuse cases, meaning one attorney handles the case from start to finish. This establishes a thorough understanding of the crime and a good rapport with the victim. The attorneys in this unit are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to meet with law enforcement and agencies that provide services for persons age 60 or older. The EAJU also works closely with victim advocates to give victims the support they need. From 2008 to present, EAJU has seen an increase of 294% in the number of elder abuse cases they have handled. In the past five years, the EAJU has met with or presented to more than 50,000 people and distributed over approximately 20,000 Elder Abuse Information Brochures.