title: Reading the signs.
abstract: The Commons health committee's recent report on elder abuse begins with a telling comparison between two tragic cases. One concerned a child, Victoria Climbié, whose torture and death at the hands of a relative received widespread coverage; and the other, a 78-year-old woman, Margaret Panting, who suffered 'unbelievable cruelty' while living with relatives. Postmortem examination showed 49 injuries on her body including cuts and cigarette burns. There was little press interest and no one was charged over her death because there was insufficient evidence to determine how she died.