Elderly woman receives aid after bread theft

An 80-year-old woman caught stealing sweet red bean buns for her bedridden husband has received welfare support after police uncovered the couple’s deep financial hardship, authorities said Saturday.

Police in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, said officers were called to an unmanned bakery in Deogyang-gu around 2 p.m. on April 2 after a report that an elderly woman had left the store without paying for five red bean buns. Using closed-circuit television footage and other investigative methods, police identified the woman, who lived nearby, and booked her on suspicion of theft. During questioning, she admitted taking the bread, saying she wanted to give her husband the buns he liked.

Police later learned that the woman, a recipient of basic livelihood assistance, had no significant criminal record. Investigators also found that she had spent nearly 20 years caring alone for her husband, also in his 80s, who suffers from dementia and other chronic illnesses that severely limit his mobility.

The buns were worth less than 10,000 won (about $7), but the couple had reportedly fallen into such financial distress from mounting medical bills that even a small purchase had become difficult.

After hearing the couple’s story, the bakery owner told police that no punishment was sought.

Officers said the case called for support more than punishment. Late last month, the Goyang Police Station convened a review panel for minor offenses and decided to seek leniency by referring the case to summary proceedings.

Under South Korea’s summary proceedings system, minor offenses can be handled without a full criminal trial, allowing the woman to avoid both lengthy court proceedings and a criminal record.

Separately, police visited the couple’s home and coordinated with the local welfare office to help them receive emergency living assistance.

The temporary support program provides relief supplies and care services to residents facing severe financial hardship. Kwon Bong-soo, head of the criminal investigation division at the Goyang Police Station, said officers were deeply affected by the woman’s situation. “Everyone in the department wanted to find a way to help,” Kwon said. “While crimes must be dealt with according to principle, we also believed we should not turn away from vulnerable people driven to desperation by poverty.”


천종현 기자 punch@donga.com