The Big Wednesday Debate.

NoMercy | 18:40 Wed 27th Oct 2010 | ChatterBank

51 Answers

Here's the scenario:

An 86-year-old, partially sighted woman, who claims to have a dodgy ticker (well she would, wouldn't she!), goes into a shop and steals an item from the store. The shopkeeper has had his/her suspicions about the old lady for some time, and when the elderly woman is finally apprehended for stealing, the shopkeeper calls the police. The police arrive and formally arrest the old woman and take her down the station, as they would any other person caught shoplifting.

Is it right to treat a person of that age just like any other thief?

Or should she have been made to pay for the item and allowed to walk away?

Oh my gawd!

Well! would you?

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NoMercy

Question Author

I still believe a thief is a thief is a thief, thus they should all be treated the same way regardless of their age.

yogi-bear

Thats what debates are all about......opinions.......and thank god for differences as we'd have nothing to debate about, eh? :0)

NoMercy

Question Author

Indeedy, Yogi.

mazie

Even if they have dementia and have no concept of what they are doing? In my Mum's home people go into her room and take things, they also leave her things that she has no use for. These old people have no concept of what is theirs or anyone else's. They just see it and want it....I bit like very young children, but you cant teach them like you can young kids, because their minds have gone..It is difficult....but a thief is not always a thief, It could be someones mother or father that doesn't have a clue and would be horrified if they were accused of stealing

yogi-bear

I could not have put that any better, mazie. :0)

It's not always so clear cut, is it, sweetheart?
xx

dotty.

I work in St Annes now and they're all bloody retired oldies and the shoftlifting is rife! It's the oldens who think they;re hard done by and are so begrudging of parting with a penny more than they want to

NoMercy

Question Author

With all due respect, if they have dementia and no concept of what they are doing, they wouldn't be walking around town doing their own shopping. I'm not talking about nursing home residents, but old people who are self-sufficient, going around town taking liberties by removing stock from shops without paying for them.

mazie

No, it's not Yogi...and yes dotty, there are a lot of of old people how do have all their faculties and think this world owes them a living because they are old...But, there are a lot of them that you have to feel very sorry for because they haven't got a clue. To lose your identity and be scared because you can't remember what happen 2 minutes ago must be the most scariest thing in the world.....Old people with the where withall can be a pain in the harris, mostly. Although I'm not :o)