For Richer, For Poorer
The elderly people targeted for marriage and exploited for financial gain.
File on 4 Investigates · BBC Radio 4
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Show Notes
With an ageing population, it’s estimated that over one million people in the UK will be living with dementia by 2025. But what happens when someone with the condition is deliberately targeted and led into marriage for the financial gain of the partner? Unlike in Scotland, marriage in England and Wales revokes any previous will that may have been made. For those who target someone with dementia and secretly wed them without the knowledge of their family, matrimony can prove to be extremely lucrative. We hear from the families of those believed to have been preyed upon and registrars on the frontline, tasked with spotting a predatory marriage, despite no medical training in assessing dementia. And we speak to campaigners who say the law needs to change to better protect victims and their families.
Reporter: Datshiane Navanayagam Producer: Paul Grant Editor: Gail Champion