Alberta > Protection Against Family Violence Act:I am 67 and live with my daughter and son-in-law. My son-in-law terrorizes the household. He never lets me go out and makes me sign my pension cheques over to him. Sometimes I am alone in my room for days. What can I do?If you can get access to a phone at any time, you can call the police and ask them to help on an emergency basis. You could also ask anyone else you trust to call for you. If the police are not given entry to the house, the police under the Protection Against Family Violence Act can apply to a judge for a warrant permitting entry to a place where a family member may have been subjected to family violence. Once the police gain entry to the house, you can request that an emergency protection order be applied for. The order can include such things as keeping your son-in-law away from places that you are likely to be. If the house belongs to you, you can request that the order state that your son-in-law is to leave the house. Even if your son-in-law owns the house, you can still request that he be ordered to leave the house. However, you may wish to consider your safety when he will know exactly where you are and take steps to protect yourself. Some more specific information for seniors on family violence is available at www.oak-net.org.
July 2003 |
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