Japanese Elderly Increasingly Turn to Petty Crime

TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- Beset by economic worries and loneliness, elderly Japanese are turning to petty crime in increasing numbers, the nation's Justice Ministry reports. In 2007, 48,605 persons age 65 and older were arrested in crimes other than traffic violations, more than double the number five years earlier, according to a ministry report.
Thefts such as shoplifting and pick-pocketing were the main offenses, the ministry report said.
"The main reasons they shoplift are poverty and loneliness," said Kazuo Kawakami, a former federal prosecutor. "The traditional Japanese family is gone, and now our elderly live alone."
Population trends offer little hope for a turnaround in the elderly crime trend. Twenty percent of Japan's population is older than 65, the largest percentage of elderly of any country in the world. Compounding the problem, Japan has one of the world's lowest birth rates.    Read more...

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