Older women can be victims of abuse, and icons of justice.
During an ongoing mass rape trial in France, the victim at the centre of the case, Gisèle Pelicot, has voluntarily waived her right to anonymity, stating that she wants to inspire other victims to seek justice, and turn the tables on perpetrators of rape by rejecting the shame that victims often feel. Her courtroom remark that ‘It’s not us who should feel shame but them’ has become an iconic quote that resonated around the world making her a hero to women, girls and all survivors of sexual assault. Her lawyers reported that she chose to hold the trial in public so as to force a debate on rape culture in France as she feels too many people still defend rape or see it as an inevitability.
Gisèle Pelicot is not a stereotypical victim for a number of reasons, one of which is her age. Her experience, at the age of 72, serves to remind us that older women can also be victims of violence and abuse. Age UK has highlighted the fact that, until 2020 the Crime Survey for England and Wales only asked people up to age 74 if they had experienced domestic abuse in the past year, leaving limited data about the experiences of those over 75. Domestic violence can be intimate partner violence for older people, but age also increases the incidence of domestic abuse at the hands of a child or other family member, according to the charity Hourglass that works to keep older people safe from all types of abuse.
The Commissioner for Older People NI has just published a report on domestic abuse amongst older people, noting that two thirds of these crimes are perpetrated against women. The report highlights that in the 60+ age group, domestic abuse crimes have increased dramatically in the last decade. Domestic abuse made up 6% of all crimes against older people in 2012/13 but by 2022/23 this figure had risen to 21%. The most rapid increase is in the oldest age group of 80+.
Crime data for the UK suggests a lower prevalence of sexual crimes for older women than younger women but research also highlights that women over the age of 60 are much less likely to report sexual violence than those aged 16-59. Researcher Bianca Fileborn (2017) found that older women face particular barriers to disclosure and accessing the justice system, resulting in their experiences of rape and sexual assault remaining hidden. Many of these barriers also contribute toward older women’s experiences being ignored, dismissed, or downplayed by potential bystanders. Fileborn explores the ways that cultural expectations of older women, ageism, cognitive and health impairments, and living in a residential care setting can all impact on access to justice. She argues that responding to, and preventing, the sexual assault of older women requires a tailored approach—and we currently lack sufficient insight to develop appropriate responses.[1]
Not only is Gisèle Pelicot not a stereotypical victim, she is also not the stereotypical face of the feminist movement that has embraced her as a hero. Women across the world of all ages, such as those who wrote her name on placards at Belfast’s Reclaim the Night march, are inspired by this older woman’s quiet defiance and steadfast rejection of shame. But she has also spoken honestly of how her age is a factor in processing the trauma that she carries. Stating in court that she feels ‘totally destroyed’ by the abuse she was subjected to, she also reflected, ‘I’m 72 soon and I’m not sure my life will be long enough to recover from this.’ In the difficult journey that Gisèle faces in the years ahead, I hope that she will experience some healing from the knowledge that, because she did not consider herself too old to make a difference, she has helped to bring about a better future for all women and girls.
Kellie Turtle, Age NI
[1] Fileborn, B. (2017). Sexual Assault and Justice for Older Women: A Critical Review of the Literature. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 18(5), 496-507. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838016641666
