This article is very sad. It sounds like a modern day Fagin/Oliver Twist story.

Reuters link:
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.j...toryID=6208333

Archived Google link (in case Reuters link goes dead):
http://tinyurl.com/4jbhy

I had a long talk with one of the young girls who was begging me for money in Russia. She spoke almost perfect English, she was a beautiful girl about 14 years old.

I was waiting outside my hotel and she finally got sick of begging and sat next to me on the steps. I had my purse on my lap so I struck up a conversation with her. She was from Bulgaria and lived with her sisters in the slums of the city. I was so touched by her because in another place and under other circumstances she would have had a chance for a good life.

It was so sad to me to know that she was doomed to live outside of society like that. What a shame it was and I still think of her, but there was nothing I could have done to help her.

interesting article.i never heard about that.had previously thought that pickpocket kids were part of a family business.

well at least if you get hit by a kid you know you are helping him meet his quota.

Sam

most big cities have a problem like that. When I lived downtown on Newbury St here in Boston, There was a woman with a station wagon full of kids who were sent off to steal "clients" ordered items from our shops. I was on a crime committe, that year we had a prostitution problem also but we got both cleaned up. We rode with a guy who had a bull horn taking the johns car licenses.

How sad! The closest I've ever come to having my purse stolen was on a ferry from Vancouver to Victoria late in the evening, when a darling little Asian boy about 6 years old came and sat across from us.

I remember wondering briefly where his parents were, but then a little later as I was nodding off, I felt someone tugging on my purse on my lap- I had it looped around my arm- and there was this cute little boy trying to steal my purse!

I suspect that this was a family business, but who knows. Either way it's very sad.

Touching story, SeaUrchin--thanks for sharing it.