Shania Shayal Prasad 
A 75-year-old retired civil servant, Umar Dayal, has shared his experience of abuse and neglect at the hands of his own family.
Speaking during the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day event, Dayal emotionally recalled how his son and daughter-in-law forced him to live separately in his own home.
Dayal, who served in the Fiji Corrections Service for 29 years, says he was also neglected his basic needs.
He says despite his contributions to the country, he found himself crawling to the bathroom due to an untreated leg injury.
“So I was there as I was getting older. I did my own cooking and washing. I had my son, daughter-in-law, and my grandchildren with me. But they didn’t care about my life. They didn’t care that I was elderly. They kept harassing me.”
He says many suffer in silence, despite having helped build the foundations of the nation.
Dayal now resides at the Housing Assistance Relief Trust settlement in Valelevu.
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