Elderly shoplifters hit record high in Japan

Shoplifting by elderly people in Japan hit a record high last year, police and news reports said, as the nation rapidly shifts to a greying society.

The number of people aged 65 or older charged with shoplifting in the country rose by 343 to an all-time high of 27,362 in 2010, the National Police Agency and news reports said.

The figure accounted for 26.1 per cent of all shoplifters last year, almost matching the 27.1 per cent for teenagers.

The figure for elderly shoplifters may reflect a gain in the number of aging people who have lost families and jobs, factors that usually help maintain self-control, Jiji Press said, quoting a senior agency official.

More than 70 per cent of the elderly shoplifters said they committed such stealing simply because they wanted to possess and consume things or food, while others cited as a movite poverty and having fun, Jiji said.

The nation’s total number of shoplifting cases reported to police last year fell by 1,517, or one percent, to 148,375, police said.