Penal Code Offenders in Japan Rise for 1st Time in 19 Years

Jiji Press

12:09 JST, December 20, 2024

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — Japanese police took action against 183,269 people for Penal Code violations in 2023, marking an 8.2% rise from the previous year in the first growth in 19 years, a Justice Ministry white paper showed Friday.

The increase was affected to a certain extent by a recovery in the flows of people from the COVID-19 pandemic, the ministry said.

The annual white paper on crime mentioned for the first time “yami baito,” or shady part-time jobs that promise good pay.

People becoming involved in serious crimes by applying to such jobs without giving much thought has become a social issue, it said.

The number of cybercrime cases edged up 0.9% to a record high of 12,479, while that of special fraud cases climbed 8.6% to 7,212.

Yami baito may have played a role in the rises in cybercrime and special fraud cases, a ministry official said.

Women accounted for 19.5% of all Penal Code offenders. Of the cases involving women, theft made up 57.1%.

Of female inmates, 53.5% experienced depression or other mental health problems, double the proportion of male inmates who had similar issues.

The white paper called for support for women facing difficulties.

In a separate white paper, the ministry said that the proportion of people who were released from prison only to return within two years stood at 13% as of 2022, falling for the eighth consecutive year.