Japan's elderly overtake teenagers in the shoplifting stakes

As many as 3,321 pensioners were detained by police, a figure that exceeded for the first time since records began in 1989 the 3,195 teenagers who were also arrested for the same offence last year.

Around a quarter of Japan's population is aged over 65, with the average woman having 1.39 children, a figure that is significantly below potential replacement birthrates.

As recently as 1999, only 336 elderly were detained for shoplifting in the capital ? accounting for only 6 per cent of total arrests ? compared to 2,092 shoplifters under the age of 19.

Loneliness is believed to be a key factor fuelling the current surge in shoplifting, with a growing number of elderly living on their own and fewer households accommodating generations of the same family as was once customary.

Meanwhile, as many as 70 per cent of the thefts among over-65s involved food, highlighting the issue of poverty among the growing armies of pensioners living alone in the capital.

Source: http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568301/s/2e6485f5/l/0L0Stelegraph0O0Cnews0Cworldnews0Casia0Cjapan0C10A16790A10CJapans0Eelderly0Eovertake0Eteenagers0Ein0Ethe0Eshoplifting0Estakes0Bhtml/story01.htm

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