Sexual Abuse in Later Life: What Our Latest Data Is Really Telling Us

Sexual abuse and sexual violence can happen at any age. But in later life, these crimes are still too often invisible, masked by ageism and systems that were never designed with older victims in mind. During Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week, Hourglass is using its latest data to challenge some uncomfortable truths.

In 2024/25 alone, Hourglass responded to 23,782 contacts from older people and concerned others through our Helpline and online services. Behind those figures is a growing national picture: older people are seeking help in unprecedented numbers, yet sexual abuse remains one of the least disclosed forms of harm in later life.

Sexual abuse accounted for around 2% of abuse types recorded by Hourglass last year. That does not mean it is uncommon. Sexual abuse of older people can include rape or sexual assault, unwanted sexual touching, coercion into sexual acts, sexual exploitation, or abuse by carers, family members or professionals in private homes, hospitals or care settings. In many cases, it is committed by someone the victim knows and relies upon.

More than half of the older people we supported reported at least one barrier to seeking help, including fear, reluctance to criminalise the perpetrator, or not recognising behaviour as abusive in the first place. In later life, these barriers are often compounded by age-specific factors: dependency on others for care or housing, generational attitudes that discourage talking about sex, shame, and anxiety about not being believed, particularly where someone has a disability, dementia or complex health needs.

Our data also shows that abuse overwhelmingly takes place in people’s own homes, and is most often perpetrated by adult children or intimate partners. Sexual harm in later life is therefore rarely about strangers and far more often about breaches of trust behind closed doors.

The latest figures also reveal what works. After contacting Hourglass:

• 83% of older victim-survivors felt more informed, confident and supported.

• 94% grew in independence and confidence after casework.

• 92% experienced improved wellbeing.

• And an overwhelming majority reported being better able to deal with their situation and access services.

Specialist, age-informed responses matter. But the data also raises sharper questions for policymakers, commissioners and public services:

• Why do older victims still face such high barriers to disclosure?

• Why are sexual harms in later life so rarely visible in local sexual violence strategies or commissioning plans?

• Why are referrals to specialist sexual violence services for older people still inconsistent across health, safeguarding and criminal justice systems?

• And why does age continue to shape whether someone is believed, referred or supported?

As our population ages (there will be 9 million more older people by 2050), these are no longer niche safeguarding questions - they are central to how the UK protects dignity, autonomy and safety in later life.

Hourglass will continue to push for sexual abuse of older people to be recognised in national strategies, commissioning frameworks and frontline training - not treated as an afterthought.

We are also grateful to Amanda Warburton-Wynn for her continued research into sexual abuse of older people, and we look forward to engaging with her forthcoming work.

If you are worried about yourself or someone else, our free and confidential Helpline is available 24/7 on 0808 808 8141.