SPRINGFIELD - Reports of elder abuse in Illinois have skyrocketed while most crimes have declined.

Elder abuse cases rose by 85 percent over a 10-year period ending in 2003, the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority reports. Meanwhile, violent crimes - murder, sexual assault, aggravated assault and robbery - dropped 47 percent from July 2002 to June 2003.

"Unfortunately, the prosecution and investigation of elder abuse cases is where child abuse cases were 20 years ago and domestic violence was 10 years ago," said Lori Leven, the authority's executive director. "It is really the last little dirty secret of the family."

Leven also attributes the increase to better reporting.

The authority reviewed 6,498 of the 7,672 elder abuse cases reported in 2002-2003. The review paints a picture of the average victim, who is most likely white, widowed, female and has some physical impairment.

Nearly two thirds of victims were abused by a relative. This connection sometimes causes law enforcement to back off pursuing these complaints, said Donna Ginther, legislative representative for AARP Illinois.

"They still see it as somewhat of a family problem. So we don't get good prosecutions," she said. "The police themselves may not step in fast enough because they don't want to intercede in a family matter."

Ginther also suggested that abuse and neglect occurs when grown-up children don't have the resources to take care of their aging parents.

"We've got to figure out how to put more money into home services," she said. "We have an adult child that is trying to tend to their own children and trying to hold down a job and provide meals for their mother, mother-in-law or aged aunt. They really just can't keep up."

Levin said the state is working with cops and prosecutors to improve elder abuse investigations.

Under state law, a wide range of professionals from social workers to coroners are required to report abuse. However, they are not required to report the suspected crime, if the alleged victims are able to do it themselves.

"We believe that a mandate reporter should report crimes. Sometimes things fall much more within grey areas," Ginther said. "It becomes more of a judgment call on how we want people to live their lives and how they want to live their lives."

The AARP supports legislation that would expand Illinois' elder abuse laws to include self-neglect, which would make it easier for authorities to help senior citizens who are without any support system and easy targets for abuse.

The report also showed that 80 percent of victims lived by themselves.

"In the best of all worlds we wouldn't need a law mandating reporters because in the best of all worlds people would know to report themselves," she said.

matt.adrian@lee.net

(217) 789-0865