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Case Study I

"I will sever all ties with you and not attend your funeral if you go against my wishes"- son of Ms Lam

Ms Lam

Widow, In her 80s

Owner of a $4 million flat

Relation: Son- 40s, Businessman

  • The son asked Ms Lam to sign a document- supposedly to rent out her house to use the rental income to help him manage with his business financial loss.

  • As it turned out, the signed document was for the sale of Ms Lam’s house. The son later promised to buy her a small flat which did not happen.

  • Ms Lam found herself living with his family of five in his two-room flat.

  • Ms Lam was also mistreated by her daughter-in-law, but she chose to put up with it as her son threatened to cut off ties with her

(Tan, 2016b)

Key Learning Points: 

  • Law could not protect Ms Lam as there was no forgery of document, verbal promise of buying her a flat was not a concrete evidence --> Importance of introducing law into Women's Charter

  • Ms Lam did not speak out, afraid of abandonment --> Importance of public education & social services

Case Study II

Jane

(not her real name)

Widow, In her 80s

Bedridden, under PA scheme

Relation: Son- 50s, Jobless

"He brought my mum to the streets to beg for money and prevented us from visiting her, by threatening to kill himself "

-Jane's other children

  • Receives $450 a month from the Government's Public Assistance (PA) scheme for the destitute.

  • She is immobilized and must stay in bed.

  • She lives with her son, in his 50s, the youngest of her six children, who is jobless.

  • Her son used his mother's PA money for his own interest while leaving Jane malnourished. Jane also suffered from other problems.

  • At last, her siblings reached out to a social worker and admitted Jane into a nursing home.  

(Tan, 2016b)

Key Learning Points: 

  • Case of withholding financial assets of elderly mother which deprives her from meeting needs of daily living 

  • Social workers managed to come in to intervene  --> Importance of social services and professionals and law in intervention & protection.

Financial abuse can occur to anyone regardless of income level. Similarly, in both cases, the elderly mother was left vulnerable to the threats of their son.

So,

how can the law protect them?

It is time to speak out. 

Abuse is very much a hidden problem among women and the elderly population now, especially with the fear of victim stigmatization. But we cannot allow such cases to come to light only when the hurt is done. We need greater awareness to have greater voice in the society and prevent the occurrence of abuse. Abuse is never acceptable, in any forms. Never normalize abuse.

​

Singapore should adopt a problem-solving approach by expanding its laws on financial abuse for enforcement and prevention, social services and organizations should also continue its good efforts of advocacy, reaching out to the greater public on what financial abuse is, reducing victim stigmatization. Professionals can hence, come into play for intervention and rehabilitation for victims of such abuse. It is also the society's responsibility and efforts to ensure the well-being of individuals. 

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