Society's belief that older people cannot be sexually abused must change, report warns 

The two reports follow the rape of an elderly woman ‘Emily’ in a HSE nursing home in April 2020.

Irish society does not believe older people can be sexually abused in the same way people in the past did not believe children were being abused in institutions and this must change, the HSE’s National Independent Review Panel (NIRP) has warned in a hard-hitting report.

A second report, also published on Wednesday, notes “reasonable grounds for concern in relation to physical or sexual abuse” of 21 elderly residents in one nursing home were found by a HSE safeguarding team.