Supermarket chain releases statement following elderly shoplifter incident
Lidl Greece has released a statement on Thursday that it will not be taking any further action following public scrutiny over the handling of an elderly shoplifter after she was caught stealing food on Saturday.
The 70-year-old woman, reported to be in severe financial difficulties, was caught shoplifting food worth an approximate 40 euros on Saturday in the Ilion branch of the supermarket giant. Despite information that other customers offered to pay for the items and that the police officers on scene were hesitant to do so, the branch manager at store insisted that the woman face charges.
“The recent incident that occurred in our Ilion branch deeply saddens us. The branch manager is instructed to pursue all necessary steps when dealing with criminal activity, as are all our branch managers,” said the supermarket chain in its statement, adding however that “the company’s management is aware of the incident and will ensure that it ends here. The company will be in touch with the customer in question to ensure that the incident comes to a close”.
