JAPAN: Loneliness driving elderly people to shoplifting

. TOKYO, Japan / Japan Today / Kyodo / August 2, 2009 Elderly people charged with shoplifting are increasingly citing their feelings of loneliness and isolation as the major reason for their crimes, according to a Tokyo police survey. Twenty-four percent of 204 people aged 65 and older charged recently with shoplifting by the Metropolitan Police Department said they were driven to do so by their feelings of loneliness. One said he was living alone after getting divorced and had just 21 yen at the time of his arrest in a supermarket. Police added that 40% of the elderly offenders live alone and 53% said they do not have any friends. The survey covered a total of 1,050 people involved in shoplifting cases handled by Tokyo police between April 20 and June 30, including 428 minors and 418 adults aged between 20 and 64. [rc] © 2009 Kyodo News