2 Persons cleared

  The number of persons cleared for penal code offenses exceeded one million in 1998, and has continued reaching a new post WWII high every year from 1999 to 2004, but turned to decrease in 2005. In 2007, it decreased by 57,022 (4.6%) from the previous year.
  Table 1-1-1-2 shows the number of persons cleared for penal code offenses in 2007 and Fig. 1-1-1-3 [2] shows the percent distribution by type of offense.
  The percent ratio was the highest for negligence in vehicle driving, etc. which accounted for nearly 69.1%, followed by theft, embezzlement, and injury.
  Fig. 1-1-1-5 shows the age distribution of persons cleared for non-traffic penal code offenses over the last 30 years.
  The share of those aged 60 or over accounted for 3.1% (11,677 persons) in 1978, but rose to 18.9% (69,220 persons) in 2007. Also, the share of those aged 65 or over was 13.3% (48,605 persons) in 2007.

Fig. 1-1-1-5  Age distribution of persons cleared for non-traffic penal code offenses (1978–2007)

  Fig. 1-1-1-6 shows the number of females cleared for non-traffic penal code offenses and the female rate since 1946.
  The number of females cleared reached peaks in 1950 (the range of 54,000), 1964 (the range of 51,000), and 1983 (the range of 83,000). It reached high next to 1983 at the range of 82,000 in 1988, and then decreased for a time after 1989. However, it started to increase again after hitting the bottom at the range of 52,000 in 1992 and reached a new post WWII high at 84,175 in 2005. It has decreased slightly in 2006 and was 79,570 in 2007 (down by 2,146 persons (2.6%) from the previous year).
  The female rate was on an upward trend since 1946 and exceeded 20% for the first time in 1988. It has been around 20% and was 21.7% in 2007 (up by 0.5 point from the previous year).

Fig. 1-1-1-6  Number of females cleared for non-traffic penal code offenses and female rate (1946–2007)

  Table 1-1-1-7 shows the number of persons cleared for non-traffic penal code offenses in 2007, by sex and by type of offense.
  For females, those cleared for theft accounted for majority, followed by embezzlement, fraud, and injury. More specifically, 80.3% of those cleared for theft committed shoplifting and most of those cleared for embezzlement committed embezzlement of lost property.
  The female rate was high for infanticide in homicide (100.0%) and shoplifting in theft (44.2%).

Table 1-1-1-7  Number of persons cleared for non-traffic penal code offenses by sex and by type of offense (2007)