Crimes Committed By The Elderly Are Likely To Increase In 2016, According To Police Experts

Police think tank forecasted Sunday that there will be an increase in the number of elderly crimes this year, which they said is a result of financial difficulties experienced by less fortunate elderly people.

Korea Herald reported Monday that the Police Science Institute of the Korean National Police Agency said high elderly poverty rate would result in an increase of elderly crimes in South Korea committed by deprived senior citizens aged 61 and above.

"As poverty of the senior citizens persists, the "subsistence crime" - committed by the underprivileged for the sheer purpose of survival - will continue to grow. There is also a high possibility that the increase in crimes will lead to more violent cases, such as sex crimes," the officials stated.

According to a report by the National Police Agency, some 150,902 senior citizens were convicted for committing criminal activities in 2014. The figures are 35.4 percent higher as compared to 111,453 in 2011.

Police Science Institute said about 1.79 million crimes are forecasted this year, which is 10 percent lesser from last year's 1.85 million. Despite this, the police experts said crimes committed by elderly people will likely increase in the current year.

Statistics Korea revealed that the population of senior citizens in South Korea will reach 6.62 million in 2016, as noted by Korea Times Sunday. It added that the number of senior citizens in the country will exceed 8 million in 2020.

A report revealed that South Korea has the highest poverty rate for senior citizens among other 34 member nations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

In line with this, police authorities plan to develop preventive measures intended to offer emotional support for the underprivileged. The police also plan to come up with programs to better integrate the elderly by increasing their social involvement through senior group gatherings and the likes.