Crime in Japan - Woman Arrested for Ice Cream Theft
Yes, it has been hot lately, but no matter how hot it gets, I would never resort to stealing ice cream treats.
On July 16th, a truck was delivering a shipment of frozen treats to a store in Ama City in Aichi Prefecture. While the treats were being taken into the store, a clerk noticed a woman stealing five items from the truck. When the 21 year old clerk confronted the 56 year old woman, she became violent and bit his hand. Despite his injuries, he was able to restrain the thief and the police arrested her for the attempted theft and for assault.
She admitted to the crimes and said she wanted to eat ice cream because it was hot that day. There was no further information in the news story, but I want to know more. Why would she risk being arrested over such a small amount? I think most of the frozen treats could be purchased for 100 to 200 yen each. Doesn't everyone know there are security cameras outside of convenience and other stores? What was this woman's mental health condition? Which of the many delicious cold treats was she trying to get away with?
Is there any type of frozen treat you really love? Would you risk going to jail to get it? I feel sorry that she felt she needed to steal ice cream on a hot day, but one thing I love about Japan is that this is the type of terrible crime that makes national news. There is no crime worse than this to report about.
5 comments:
Hi Pamela: This is so sad, I am not sure if she really needed a place that was cool, maybe she committed the crimes to get put in jail to cool off a bit, it is common in Minnesota to commit crimes just to be in a warm place when it is cold outside.
Catherine
I wonder if the woman needs help, maybe mental health counseling. I do like ice cream. Boba ice cream bars and mint Klondike bars are current favorites.
Life is not fair. Some people have more money than others and can treat themselves to an ice cream without batting an eyelid. Others have to go without or turn to crime. Prices for food items, including ice cream, are going up. Many working people have received a wage increase and can still afford these cold treats. However, pensions have not increased and some part-timers have not had the wage increase the government is urging for. So times are tough for a lot of people. Maybe the woman wanted to give ice cream to her grandchildren. I was surprised to hear that she bit the clerk.
No, I would not risk going to jail to get some ice cream.
As for going to jail to get AC or heating in winter, unfortunately, most Japanese prisons do not have sufficient cooling/heating - uncomfortable living conditions are part of the punishment.
I don't know what happened to her, but it's not good to steal.
It doesn't seem to be a person with a mental illness that he aimed at the loading site instead of the store.
If she was in financial trouble, I wanted her to consult with the city first.
If it is difficult to go to the government office, there are community inclusion centers where you can consult about various problems, children's cafeterias run by NPOs, and cafes that anyone can use.
Even if what she did is dealt with by the shop and the police, city officials should investigate her situation and do what they can to advise her. So that she never steals or bites again.
If she had money to buy ice cream and stole it, it would require a lot of remorse.
I can totally understand the desire for cold treats on a hot day, but stealing them wouldn't cross my mind! The fact that she even bit the clerk makes me think that she might not have been all 'there'.
I have recently developed an unhealthy obsession with a specific kind of frozen treat that is basically just frozen orange juice...maybe not too unhealthy, after all, although they do add a bit of sugar to keep it sweet when frozen!
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