The female kleptomaniacs in Hong Kong

Abstract

In Hong Kong, as in most jurisdictions, kleptomania is not legally recognized as a defence of mental abnormality and individuals are held responsible unless a complete lack of control over their actions can be proved. Although studied for over 200 years, kleptomania remains poorly understood and is often underestimated or undiagnosed. This research investigates the characteristics and experiences of offenders with kleptomania in Hong Kong and attempts to answer two questions: (1) What are the characteristics and experiences of female kleptomaniacs in Hong Kong? (2) Can they be recognized and taken care of by the current sentencing and rehabilitation system. Eighty female individuals with multiple criminal records of theft were invited to complete a set of questionnaires. After analyzing their characteristics, three respondents whose stories can exemplify the difficult position faced by the kleptomaniacs were invited for intensive case studies. The findings indicate that targeted and coordinated services are not available for the majority of chronic offenders. Many kleptomaniacs reported that they did not seek help at an earlier date because of negative previous experience. Arguably, if the rehabilitation policy continues to fail to recognize the need for oriented and flexible treatment, kleptomaniacs in Hong Kong risk being incarcerated repeatedly for further convictions.