B. Main Topics 1) Status of Elder Abuse and Elder Abuse by Families A) Status on Elder Abuse and a Demand to Reinforce the Investigative Procedures According to the “The Report on the Status of Elder Abuse” (2022) released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Central Senior Protection Agency, the number of cases of elder abuse in 2021 was 6,774, an increase of 8.2% compared to 2020. This is an increase of about 3.32 times as compared to 2,038 cases in 2005. The reasons for the increase are the natural increase due to the increase in the elderly population, the reinforced ability to identify the abusive cases from the expansion of the infrastructure, such as senior protection institutions, and the deepening social isolation and care problems after COVID-19. The perpetrator is a family member in about 70% of all elder abuse cases. Sons were the most common elder abusers until 2020,339) but in 2021, spouses (29.1%) exceeded sons (27.2%) and were found to be the most common. This can be attributable to complex factors, conflicts between families living together due to the prolonged COVID-19 epidemic and changes in household types,340) and stress over the burden of caregiving. Meanwhile, abuse in living facilities, such as nursing homes, etc. increased by 2.9%, but abuse in activity facilities used by senior citizens decreased by 5.4%. These figures are cases of abuse in 2021 that are reported in 2022, and are results indicating the social distancing implemented by COVID-19 and increased care stress in facilities.341) Cases of abuse of elderly with dementia were still high among the victim types. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare,342) in 2021, victims with dementia (suspected, 339) Type of Abusers (2020): Son (34.2%), Spouse (31.7%), Institution (13.0%), Daughter (8.8%) 340) Abuse by a spouse is expected to continue to be the dominant form of elder abuse, when considering the fact that elderly couple households increased from 47.1% in 2008 to 59.4% in 2020, households living with children decreased from 27.6% to 20.1% during the same period. 341) When looking at the living facilities during the spread of COVID-19 in 2022, due to low fatality rate of the variants, the quarantine measures in general society have undergone frequent changes, but the nursing homes, etc. classified as high-risk facilities, only non-contact visits were possible for a long time. In response, the NHRCK in Jul. 2022 recommended the Minister of Health and Welfare that measures be taken to not restrict the rights of the in-patients for visitation and going outside, such using alternative means in cases where visits are restricted for quarantine purposes. 342) Ministry of Health and Welfare, Degree of Abused Elderly with Dementia by Year, 2022. 146