Elder abuse victim's family welcomes charity's 24/7 helpline move

Joan Blass had advanced dementia when she married a man 24 years her junior

The family of an elderly woman who was the victim of a predatory marriage has welcomed a round-the-clock helpline for those affected by elder abuse.

The Hourglass charity said extending the hours its helpline ran would do more to bring the "hidden epidemic" of elder abuse into the open.

Daphne Franks' mum was taken advantage of by a man 24 years her junior when she was in her 80s and with dementia.

Ms Franks said a 24/7 helpline would make an "absolute difference".

Predatory marriage is when vulnerable adults are led into a marriage which financially benefits their new spouse.

Ms Franks, from Gledhow in Leeds, said her mum, Joan Blass, met Colman Folan in 2011, the same year she was diagnosed with dementia. A month later he had moved in with her.

Fearing her mum was being taken advantage of, Ms Franks sought help from Mrs Blass's GP, social services and the police, but appeals for guidance drew a blank.

It was only when her mother died in 2016 at the age of 91 that the family learned the pair had married.

Joan Blass's daughter, Daphne Franks, said she did not want any other family to endure what they had

Upon Mrs Blass's death, Mr Folman inherited all her property and possessions.

He also had control of the funeral and Mrs Blass was buried in an unmarked grave.

Ms Franks said when the family found out about the marriage, the "bottom absolutely dropped out of our world".

She added: "We could not see how it could have happened. She had a five-year history of vascular dementia."

Under English law, the marriage revoked Mrs Blass's previous will which had left everything to her children.

Ms Franks said there "was absolutely nothing" the family could do about it.

She said: "I had nobody to talk to when we were aware of the threat.

"We went to all the authorities and they just didn't know what to do. They were well-meaning, but they just didn't know what to do.

'Someone to listen'

Ms Franks said if she had known there was a helpline she could have made use of before her mother's death, she would "definitely have rung it".

"If I'd had someone to ring at that point, it would have been so helpful to me - even if it was just someone to listen to and say, 'no you're not being stupid'," she said.

The Hourglass charity said it was moving its helpline to a 24/7 operation because more than a quarter of the calls it received went unanswered as they were made outside normal office hours.

It said Home Office funding meant it was now able to extend its service to make sure calls were being answered day and night.

Richard Robinson, Hourglass CEO, said: "Thankfully we are increasingly aware of other forms of abuse like child abuse and domestic violence.

"But the abuse of older people remains in the shadows even though it affects millions.

"So many people are suffering and don't know where to turn for help."

The BBC has previously attempted to contact Mr Folan for a response to the allegations.

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