Carer jailed for defrauding elderly man

Nozizwe Mlotshwa was convicted of fraud and jailed for two-and-a-half years at Worcester Crown Court in September.

The victim was an elderly man who, after a stroke, needed help at home. Mlotshwa abused her position as carer and persuaded the victim to pay her directly. In a matter of months, his assets of £300,000 had dwindled to around £500. On one occasion, she wrote herself a cheque for £75,000.

This conviction demonstrates that where evidence exists that an offence has been committed in respect of a vulnerable person, it is in the public interest to take the case to court. The CPS worked closely with police investigation to ensure this offender was brought to justice.

Crimes against older people leaflets

Download the Crimes Against Older People leaflet (pdf 68kb)

This document is 14 pages long

Read the CPS Policy about Crimes Against Older People (pdf 214kb)

This document is 52 pages long.

Elder Abuse Awareness Day

Coventry CPS took part in an Elder Abuse Awareness Day held in Shelton Square, Coventry City Centre in June 2010.

The event was organised by Coventry City Council to highlight awareness of this important issue.  The CPS stand was one of many from a variety of local organisations and information was provided to members of the public in relation to how the CPS handled such cases of abuse.  In addition, information was provided concerning the many services available for adults and the elderly in particular. 

Lisa Windridge, a Senior Crown Prosecutor based in the Coventry District, was in attendance and spoke to numerous members of the public concerning the role of the CPS.

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Home » Hate Crime » Crimes Against Older People

Crimes Against Older People

Crimes against older people are under-reported in our society. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) takes the criminal mistreatment of older people seriously.

Embarrassment, mental health issues, fear of repeat victimisation and communication or language barriers are all possible reasons why older people may not report crime.

However, there is a lot that the CPS can do to enable, encourage and support victims and witnesses at all stages of a case.

Some older people may be intimidated by the court process so, prosecutors can apply for special measures like screens in court to prevent a victim seeing the defendant, or the option to give evidence away from the courtroom through a live TV link from home. Intermediaries can also help people with communication difficulties to give evidence. Witness Care Officers provide a single point of contact in the run-up to case, and can help with a range of things from taxi transport to pet-sitting.

Living free from crime is a basic human right and we urge any older people suffering criminal mistreatment to be confident that the CPS understands the serious nature of these crimes, and to report them to police.

Targeting someone because they are older makes a crime even more serious, so it is important that together we bring these people to justice whether they be strangers, carers or family members.

Find out more about help and support for victims and witnesses.

Crimes against older people conference

On Wednesday, 30 June 2010, the West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service - Black Country hosted a free seminar dealing with "Crimes Against Older People" at the Novotel Hotel, Wolverhampton.

Senior District Crown Prosecutor Colin Molloy describes the reasons for holding the seminar.

Text transcript of the video

The CPS policy on prosecuting crimes against older people was launched in 2008. This event intended to show that we are still proactively working with older people, their families, communities, the organisations who work with them and the general public, to give them confidence that the CPS understands the serious nature of these crimes and that we are dealing effectively with them.

There were presentations and discussions on the following topics.

  • CPS Policy on Crimes Against Older People
  • Working Together for Prevention: Financial Abuse How Big is the Problem?
  • Empowering Elderly People.