AQW 37466/11-15

Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry

Tabled Date: 14/10/2014
Answered On Date: 24/10/2014
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Justice how his Department is tackling crimes against older people.

Answer:

The Programme for Government and the Community Safety Strategy 2012-2017 set out actions being taken by my Department to tackle crime and fear of crime amongst older people.

In terms of the Community Safety Strategy, there is a Fear of Crime Strategic Action Plan 2012-14 which sets out what my Department and our delivery partners are doing to tackle these crimes. This includes funding projects delivered by Age Sector Platform and Linking Generations Northern Ireland to, for example, raise awareness of existing crime prevention support and promote the benefits of intergenerational work.

Policing and Community Safety Partnerships also deliver a range of initiatives aimed at tackling crime against older people. These include home security and other crime prevention projects.

While sentencing is a matter for the judiciary, a deterrent to crime against an older person is that courts can treat the age and vulnerability of the victim as aggravating factors when assessing the appropriate sentence to be imposed.