Elderly People Who Deliberately Commit Crimes Because They Are Poor, Sick, and Lonely [Curiosity Lab]

A 76-year-old man was paroled but became homeless when he ran out of money. He was arrested for stealing a can of coffee and said he wanted to be caught because "in prison, I can sleep, eat, and work." A 76-year-old single woman lived an ordinary life and had never committed a crime. However, after her parents passed away, she felt lonely. Although she did not face any particular financial hardship, she kept stealing items from stores and was caught by the police. She said, "There is no one to take care of me." A 75-year-old woman lived alone after losing her spouse. She was arrested after repeatedly committing theft because she felt it was a waste to spend her pension.

◆ One in five Japanese criminals is elderly... Two out of three are theft cases

These are examples of aging-related crimes from the 2018 White Paper on Police by the Japanese National Police Agency. According to statistics from the Japanese National Police Agency, 183,269 people were arrested for various crimes last year. Among them, 41,099 were aged 65 or older, accounting for 22.4%. Although this peaked at 23.6% in 2022 and has been declining since, one in five criminals is elderly, and two out of three are theft cases. Among elderly people (65 and older) arrested for theft, there were 28,017, of which 20,201 were caught for petty theft. By age group, those in their 70s numbered 10,000, and those aged 80 and above were 5,500, surpassing those in their 60s. As of 2022, among inmates in Japan (14,460), about 2,000 were aged 65 or older, accounting for 14.0%. This has risen from 3% twenty years ago, 8.8% in 2012, and over 10% in 2014, showing an upward trend. The admission rate for elderly women is 21.4%, higher than that of men.

Along the roadside in front of Tapgol Park, bags and other items were lined up to hold places in the queue for free meals. Photo by Heo Young-han

◆ No money, lonely, and sick... voluntary prison entry

In most countries, elderly inmates are designated as a special group requiring protection. Considering age and health status, food, clothing, bedding, and other daily necessities are provided if needed. If mobility is difficult and bathing is hard, prison officers or volunteers assist. Medical treatment is provided when ill. Last month, CNN in the U.S. analyzed the situation of elderly inmates in Japan and reported that an increasing number of elderly people are choosing to go to prison voluntarily as a way to resolve loneliness, economic poverty, and deteriorating health. Elderly people, who were mainly perceived as crime victims, have also become perpetrators due to aging. The Japanese police analyzed elderly offenders, stating that they "live alone, feel lonely, have little contact with relatives for a long time, and feel socially isolated and discriminated against," and that "the motives for crimes are not necessarily only economic problems but also psychological factors such as loneliness and isolation."

◆ South Korea ranks first in elderly poverty and suicide... elderly crime also on the rise

While elderly people have been major victims of crime, recently they have become perpetrators. This is due to hardship, loneliness, and lack of support. South Korea's elderly poverty rate was 40.4% in 2020, and the suicide rate per 100,000 population was 42.2 in 2021. Both indicators rank first among OECD member countries. Elderly crime is also increasing. According to the National Police Agency crime statistics, among those arrested for theft crimes in 2023 (100,526 people), 30,921 (30.8%) were aged 61 or older. Among them, 26.6% were men and 40.3% were women. This means that three out of ten theft offenders are aged 60 or older, and men outnumber women. In particular, among theft crimes, small-value thefts involving amounts under 1 million won (similar to petty theft in Japan) accounted for 75.8%.

A cooling fog (mist sprayer) is operating in a small room village in Seoul in the middle of summer. Photo by Jo Yong-jun

As seen in the Japanese cases, elderly crime is closely related to elderly poverty, job insecurity, deteriorating family relationships, social isolation, and living environment. If these problems worsen, the elderly crime rate will inevitably increase. Laws and systems, including retirement age extension, pension and medical reforms, and raising elderly standards, must accelerate. Alongside this, if there are elderly people in families or relatives, frequent communication and creating a culture of a little attention and care for elderly people around us is the first step to reducing elderly crime. It is an effort to prevent crime victimization and eliminate causes of offending.

2024 Remastered Release of 'The Shawshank Redemption' Poster. Provided by Pop Entertainment

◆ The fate-dividing words of Brooks and Red in The Shawshank Redemption

The movie The Shawshank Redemption features two characters, Brooks and Red, who committed crimes in their youth and spent over 40 or 50 years in prison. Brooks, before his parole release, deliberately threatened fellow inmates with a knife, saying he wanted to stay there. For him, prison was a place to spend his old age with family-like companions without worrying about food and shelter. On the other hand, Red went to meet a fellow inmate who had been paroled and escaped. After release, Brooks and Red stayed at the same lodging where Red had found a job. Brooks wrote on the ceiling wall of the lodging, "BROOKS WAS HERE," before ending his life. Red, deciding to meet his friend despite violating parole rules, left another message next to Brooks's writing: "SO WAS RED."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.