BC CRN has joined a national coalition advocating for stronger legal protections for seniors facing coercive control, abuse that manipulates, isolates, or restricts older adults’ access to money, care, or independence.
The coalition is organizing a Legislative Action Day on Parliament Hill to urge lawmakers to extend criminal protections beyond intimate partners to include adult children and others in positions of trust. Advocates point out that previous attempts to criminalize coercive control overlooked elder abuse victims, leaving a critical gap in protection.
BC CRN’s involvement is particularly important. By adding the voices of Community Response Networks across the province, we help ensure that the realities of seniors in BC are represented, and that local insights on abuse prevention inform national advocacy. Alongside partners like CanAge, Dementia Justice Canada, and CNPEA, BC CRN will support research, advocacy materials, and outreach to policymakers.
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to fund travel, legal research, and participation in Ottawa, aiming to amplify the voices of older adults who too often go unheard. This Legislative Action Day represents a vital step toward legal reforms that recognize coercive control in all relationships of trust and dependency, safeguarding seniors and holding abusers accountable.
