Over half of Moldovan delinquents are young

Every second offender in Moldova is of the age allowed to work, yet unemployed. Every fourteenth crime is committed by or with minors. Over 1,000 people repeatedly commit felonies on an annual basis, Info-Prim Neo reports, quoting the National Statistics Bureau. According to law-enforcing bodies’ data, they recorded 24,400 offences in 2007. More than a half - 52% -- were committed against property, of which 39.9 % are thefts. Out of the total number of people accused of having committed offences last year, 59% are below 30, including 314 pupils and 87 students. Yet the number of offences decreased 1.6% year on year. The number of the crimes committed in urban areas is 63.3%, as Balti town is leading. The crime there exceeds 1.6 times the country’s average. Almost one third of offences - 30,9% -- are felonies: 216 people were murdered in Moldova last year. In 2006, the felonies represented half (52 %) of the offences committed. The data show the infractions committing by using fire-weapons, explosives and grenades dropped twice as compared to 2006, with 34 cases recorded. There serve over 6,400 people in jails yearly, of which 140 are below 21. Every fourth person is imprisoned for murder or theft, every sixth – for appropriation in extremely large amounts, every seventh -- for robbery and larceny. Most of the jailed youths were sentenced for theft (24.8%,) rape (18.4%,) robbery and larceny (12.0%.) Earlier in 2007, 6,521 prisoners were serving their sentences, of which 274 were women, in those17 Moldovan penitentiaries.