Society

Former marathon runner gets suspended sentence for shoplifting

Dec 05 (Japan Today) - Former world championships marathon runner Yumiko Hara has been sentenced to one year in prison, suspended for four years with supervision, for shoplifting food, with the court citing an eating disorder she is suffering from even after her retirement.

The 36-year-old was on another suspended sentence for a similar crime when she was arrested after stealing three items including a bag of candy worth a total of 382 yen from a convenience store in Gunma Prefecture on Feb 9.

The Maebashi District Court acknowledged that her bulimia, which makes her crave food, affected her ability to discern and control her behavior. But the court also concluded she was mentally competent to be held responsible.

"It is not easy to treat (the disorder). But we can expect you not to repeat offenses if you continue with treatment," Judge Masaya Okuyama said in handing down the ruling on Monday.

Her disorder, which involves eating excessively and vomiting numerous times a day, continued even after her retirement, according to her lawyer.

Source: ANNnewsCH

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