Victims’ justice

PRISONS in Japan are filling up with an unexpected group: the elderly. For the first time, more crimes are being committed by people over 65 than by those aged between 14 and 19 (see chart). The young still have a slightly higher propensity to commit crime. But in absolute terms, because of Japan’s ageing population, the elderly are now responsible for more incidents of shoplifting, brawling and the like. One motivation is straitened circumstances. Some lonely elderly may even look to prisons for companionship and care, including in special geriatric wards.