Nearly 300 elderly found at risk in urban centres as PSP completes annual operation
The Portugal Public Security Police (Polícia de Segurança Pública) identified 461 elderly people and referred 318 to social support institutions during a two-monthpreventive operation that ended on 25 September. Of those referred, 294 were in situations of risk, the force announced on International Day of Older Persons.
The operation, called "Solidarity Has No Age – PSP with the Elderly", ran from 27 July to 25 September across urban centres nationwide. Officers made 2,240 individual contacts with elderly residents during this period.
Hugo Guinote, head of the Criminal Prevention and Proximity Policing Division at the PSP, told news agency Lusa that officers proceed with "signalling and eventual referral of the most vulnerable cases" from these individual contacts. He said the number of elderly people flagged remains "relatively constant compared to previous years".
Psychological isolation in plain sight
The main risks police encountered this year were 139 cases involving lack of autonomy and 68 cases where the person had no contact network. Guinote said these situations continue to concern the PSP.
The figures show the vulnerability elderly people face in urban centres, Guinote said. Despite being in what should be a protected environment, surrounded by people, the reality is different for those without a network of contacts.
"They end up not being geographically isolated, but psychologically isolated," Guinote told Lusa.
The operation, which has run annually since 2012, is carried out mainly by officers from the Proximity and Victim Support Teams (EPAV). It aims to detect cases of social fragility, physical or psychological vulnerability, and suspected repeated victimisation among the elderly population.
Violence by adult children accounts for nearly half of domestic abuse complaints
A form of violence that deserves "special attention" is domestic abuse committed by adult children against their parents, known as filioparental violence, Guinote said. The PSP has seen an increase in reports of this type of violence.
Victims are typically between 70 and 75 years old, and aggressors are adult children, most of whom live in the same house as their parents. Many act within contexts of economic dependence and consume alcohol or drugs, which "enhances the episodes of violence", Guinote explained.
At present, this type of violence represents approximately 40% to 45% of domestic violence complaints, he said. Among crimes against the elderly, domestic violence accounts for about 10%.
Parents have difficulty reporting their children because they feel a duty to protect them, Guinote said. At the same time, "they feel guilty because they have internalised that they failed as parents in the process of accompanying and educating their children". This delays the filing of complaints, which "increases the risk the people themselves run".
Guinote appealed to other relatives and neighbours who notice domestic violence against the elderly, especially assaults by children against parents, to report it immediately to the authorities.
More than 54,000 crimes recorded in three years
In the three years to October 2026, the PSP recorded 54,275 crimes against elderly people. Complaints stood at 18,432 in 2023, fell to 17,613 in 2024, and rose again to 18,230 in 2025.
The trend is towards "relative stabilisation" in the post-pandemic years, Guinote said. Annual complaints have remained between 17,500 and 18,500.
Property crimes, mainly thefts and fraud, predominate. Among crimes against people, assaults and domestic violence stand out. Pickpocketing has been increasing since 2024, with 1,227 cases recorded in 2025.
Elderly victims have an average age of 73, with men mostly victims of property crimes and women mostly victims of crimes against people.
The PSP suggests that despite an increasing elderly population, the stabilisation of crime numbers indicates older people are adopting more self-protective behaviours. The force carries out awareness campaigns in day centres, care homes and door-to-door efforts, advising on self-protection at home, on daily routes, and when withdrawing money.
Scale of the response
This year's operation involved 370 police officers, who carried out 188 awareness-raising actions reaching 3,883 elderly people. A mid-operation review on 1 September had already recorded 284 people signalled, with 182 in situations of social risk at that point.
Last year, the PSP signalled 559 elderly people, with 391 in situations of risk.
The PSP has between 300 and 350 officers nationwide who implement the Apoio 65 – Idosos em Segurança programme, an initiative of the Ministry of Internal Administration created to protect the senior population, with particular focus on those who live isolated or in greater social vulnerability.
Officers monitor reported cases through regular visits or remote contacts when viable, assessing the level of risk for each person. Portugal approved the Statute of the Elderly in February 2026, reinforcing shared responsibility between the state, community and family in protecting older citizens.
