Testimony on Bill No. 36-0099 
Angus Drigo 
Executive Director of Disability Rights Center of the Virgin Islands 
 
Good morning Honorable At-Large Senator Angel L. Bolques Jr., 
members of the Committee on Youth, Aging and Sports and Parks, 
other senators present and members of the listening and viewing 
public. I am Angus Drigo, Executive Director of V.I. Advocacy Inc., 
commonly known as the Disability Rights Center of the Virgin Islands 
(DRCVI). 
Thank you for inviting the DRCVI to present on Bill No. 36-0099, a 
proposal on Elder Abuse Reform that seeks to amend Title 34, Chapter 
15 of the Virgin Islands Code to enhance the territory’s capacity to 
address elder abuse. 
 
Studies show that individuals who have disabilities or who are older 
adults are at higher risk of abuse, neglect and exploitation.  
According to the National Center on Elder Abuse, about 30 percent of 
individuals with disabilities who need assistance with daily care, 
maintaining health and safety, and accessing the community have 
experienced some form of mistreatment.  
Further, the National Council on Aging estimates that one in 10 
Americans, who are 60 years or older, have experienced some form of 
elder abuse.  
The definitions of abuse and exploitation vary from state to state, but 
they are defined by the National Council on Aging as follows: 
• 
Emotional abuse—Inflicting mental pain, anguish, or distress 
on a vulnerable person through verbal or nonverbal acts. 
• 
Physical abuse—Inflicting, or threatening to inflict, physical 
pain or injury on a vulnerable person, or depriving them of a 
basic need. 
• 
Sexual abuse—Non-consensual sexual contact of any kind, 
coercing a vulnerable person to witness sexual behaviors. 
• 
Exploitation—Illegal taking, misuse, or concealment of funds, 
property or assets of a vulnerable person. Identity theft is also 
considered a form of exploitation. 
• 
Neglect—Refusal or failure by those responsible to provide 
food, shelter, health care or protection for a vulnerable person. 
• 
Abandonment—The desertion of a vulnerable person by 
anyone who has assumed the responsibility for care or custody 
of that person. 
We’ve learned that abusers can be anyone: a family member, a friend, 
a stranger, a service provider or a neighbor. It is important, therefore, 
to be informed and on the lookout for the warning signs of abuse, 
neglect and exploitation. 
 
The DRCVI is pleased that more attention will be paid to recognizing 
and preventing elder abuse. However, the proposal should clearly 
define the role of the Department of Human Services in the 
development of the multidisciplinary team under the proposed 
legislation. 
Second, it should also clearly address its implementation and the 
authority to be vested in the department to resolve the issues relative 
to the abused – and the abuser. 
The bill should also address measures to ensure support for those who 
will likely end up being punished for elder abuse, especially as it relates 
to emotional and physical abuse or neglect. 
 As an example, the Virgin Islands currently does not have adequate 
resources and/or facilities to help deal with what we see is an increase 
in the number of residents with dementia. Their care almost always 
falls on a family member with little to no experience dealing with what 
essentially is a mental health issue. 
 
These individuals, based on information received during webinars 
we’ve hosted on elder abuse, are usually full-time workers unable to 
stay home to provide round-the-clock care or cannot afford to pay for a 
full-time care-person.  
This of course sets off a chain reaction that usually results in abuse 
and/or neglect of loved ones, not out of a blatant desire to do so, but 
the result of the extreme stress they are under without adequate 
emotional or financial support to deal with such a situation. 
Finally, there are some things that cannot be legislated, but what we do 
know is that any one of us can find ourselves in such a situation with 
elderly relatives. Therefore, this bill should address both the potentially 
abused and potential abuser so that we’re not where we are today, 
looking to punish without first providing resolutions. 
 
I am available for any questions you may have.