Elder Justice Coalition seeks new coercive control offence to protect seniors
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The Elder Justice Coalition, a new ad hoc group of organizations, plans to unite the group’s voices and push for criminal law reform to create a coercive control offence that safeguards elder abuse victims and holds their abusers accountable.
During the Legislative Action Day tentatively scheduled for Feb. 5, 2026, at Parliament Hill, Ottawa, the coalition intends to encourage lawmakers to extend the coercive control offence beyond intimate partners to include abusive adult children and others holding positions of trust and dependence in relationships.
“A coercive control offence that includes abuse within relationships of trust and dependence would recognize the reality of their experience and help close a critical gap in protection,” said Laura Tamblyn Watts, chief executive officer of CanAge, the country’s national seniors’ advocacy organization, in a news release.
“When an older person is controlled or manipulated by a person they depend on, the harm often goes unnoticed,” added Bénédicte Schoepflin, executive director of the Canadian Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse. “Recognizing coercive control in these relationships would give these victims the legal protection they deserve.”
Read more https://www.canadianlawyermag.com/practice-areas/criminal/elder-justice-coalition-seeks-new-coercive-control-offence-to-protect-seniors/393369
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