When children become monsters: heartbreaking case of a Sonepat woman

By Ananth Kuckreja

The other day I was reading the newspaper in which there was a report of an elderly woman in her late 80s being abused by her son and daughter-in-law. This reminded me of a similar incident of elderly abuse that took place in our next-door neighbour’s home in Sonepat a few years back.

We had taken up this house on rent in a colony. Our house was next to a three-storeyed house in which this elderly woman was staying with her son and daughter-in-law. The elderly woman used to live on the ground floor, while her son and his family occupied the first floor. The second floor had been given out on rent.

The second day itself I heard shouting in their home and out of concern, I went to have a look. I was shocked to see that the elderly woman was being badly heckled by her son. I was completely taken aback.

Over a period of time, I noticed that this had become a frequent occurrence.

The second floor tenant told me that there were times that the daughter-in-law would even hit her. He said that the elderly woman had told him that her son wanted to sell off the house and had been pressurising her to sign the property papers.

She had refused to sign the property papers following which the verbal and physical abuse had intensified. So much so that she had to be twice taken to hospital after altercations within the family.

I decided to act upon this and informed the resident welfare association. I was surprised to know that they were already aware of this, but had done nothing about it.

Anyway, the RWA office bearers decided to meet the elderly woman who broke down when they met her. The son was called to meet the RWA members and he was admonished for his actions towards his old mother.

They also tried to counsel him about the role that this mother had played when he was growing up. The elderly woman said that things had begun to deteriorate between her and her son after the death of her husband.

She said that she felt all alone and quite vulnerable. She felt that something untoward may happen to her.

Things marginally improved after the RWA office bearers’ visit. I don’t know what happened thereafter as I was posted out and we left that rented house.

Elderly abuse is becoming a social crime. the sad part if the elderly are being abused by their own childrren.

We can watch this abuse to contine or bring it to the notice of the authorities concerned.

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