Opposition MP Louise Jackson last night called for urgent amendments to a new law aimed at tackling elder abuse, claiming seniors were still falling through the cracks.

The Shadow Minister for Health and Seniors said the latest alleged case of abuse involving a 75-year-old mentally impaired woman, revealed by The Royal Gazette last week, showed that social workers and Police were still not getting to grips with the problem.

"This Government has been unresponsive to the needs of seniors as it applies to elder abuse," she said, adding that the Senior Abuse Register Act 2008 was "flimsy".

"There are paid professionals who now have an act which should protect seniors or elders from abuse. But there is nothing definitive in the act. It's full of holes."

The National Office for Seniors and the Physically Challenged (NOSPC)and Police are investigating claims that the 75-year-old woman, Miss C, was physically and sexually abused and financially exploited by two younger men, Mr. A and Mr. B, after they moved into her home to renovate the property and look after her. They deny the allegations.

A protection order was granted by a judge last week banning the men from her home after Cabinet Minister Dale Butler ordered NOSPC staff to explore every legal avenue to help her.

Mrs. Jackson said the authorities had known about the case for more than a year but the Minister only put his foot down after she called him and threatened to expose the lack of action.

"There is no excuse for people in authority like that not doing something," she said of the NOSPC's failure to act a year ago. "There are still questions about this woman such as: has she been assessed? Has she seen a physician?Has she had counselling? She has allegedly been physically assaulted. "

Mrs. Jackson said she first spoke about Miss C to Mr. Butler, who has responsibility for seniors, many months ago when the new act was being finalised.

"I spoke to him specifically about her," she said. "I questioned the fact that the National Office and the Police had not done anything and that she was still in a potentially dangerous situation.

"Now we are many months after and Ibecame aware that there was a crisis in her life due to this alleged elder abuse and called the Minister."

She said the case echoed that of alleged elder abuse victim "Auntie Em", the 96-year-old near-blind great grandmother whose plight was exposed in this newspaper a year ago.

"The only way I got anything done with both cases was to call the Minister after months of inaction and literally threaten exposure."

Mrs. Jackson also claimed that when she spoke to a senior Policeman last week about Miss C, the officer knew nothing about the new Senior Abuse Register Act.

Mr. Butler told this newspaper last week that he stepped in to help Miss C after Police claimed they could do nothing because the alleged victim, who is said to have the mental age of a child, did not want to complain.

Police have never responded to requests for comment about Auntie Em, but the same rationale is understood to have been applied in that case.

Mrs. Jackson said: "I need people to know that the agencies have failed seniors again and they are not prepared to really act to save the seniors until they are 'outed' by somebody. I personally have to get on the phone and start screaming."

This newspaper spoke to both the men accused of abusing Miss C last week and informed them of the protection order, which they said they knew nothing about.

On Thursday, it appeared Miss C had been left home alone to cope until The Royal Gazette informed Mr. Butler that there was no one looking after her.

Neither the Police nor the NOSPC have contacted this newspaper regarding an offer to share our notes from a two-hour interview with Mr. A on Thursday, during which he admitted taking pictures of Miss C naked in order to make her get dressed.

Mr. Butler said last night:"It is against the dignity of a client to discuss this matter further. We welcome any suggestions from Mrs. Jackson in a professional way and not through the medium of the press which can make this a 'soap opera' and not a real case.

"To continue the debate in this way would not help matters at all but be against best practice and the welfare of the senior. I await Mrs. Jackson's request for a meeting or a written response."Senior Abuse Registrar and NOSPC manager Melvin Dickinson said: "No comment."

* What do you think? Call our newsdesk on 278-0137 or e-mail news@royalgazette.bm. Suspicions of senior abuse should be reported to the National Office for Seniors on 292-7802.