MOUNT VERNON — Knox County Prosecutor John Thatcher will be among those testifying this afternoon in favor of House Bill 49, which would target the growing problem of elder abuse.
Thatcher explained that it would create a multi-agency approach, much like Child Protective Services, to combat a range of ways the elderly are exploited and abused, such as having accounts drained by con men or even relatives, not just physical abuse.
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine will be testifying first, about 3 p.m., followed by Thatcher, who will be testifying on behalf of the Ohio Prosecuting Attorney’s Association, which he represents on the task force that has been looking into the issue of elder abuse.
Thatcher said the task force was originally appointed by Attorney General Jim Petro, and got as far as preparing a bill in 2005, but in the subsequent disruption of the Marc Dann administration it got sidetracked until Attorney General Richard Cordray revived the issue.
Thatcher said H.B. 49 is a modified version of the 2005 bill and seeks to implement “best practices” across the state for identifying and combating elder abuse, including cooperative efforts by local agencies.
For the rest of the story
The rest of this article is available to Mount Vernon News subscribers. To continue reading, please log in or purchase a subscription. Click here for the March 12, 2013 e-edition. The article will only be available for thirty (30) days.
Contact Chuck Martin
EmailCopyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.