The brother of a woman who was killed on Christmas Day, along with her two daughters, has called on Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald to impose tougher prison sentences on murderers.

Almost three-quarters of cases involving serious offenders looking to be released from prison are related to drink and drugs.

The son of a woman murdered in 2002 wants a range of minimum sentences of 15 to 30 years and whole-life terms for murderers, writes Cormac O’Keeffe.

Just over half of families of homicide victims and victims of rape and sexual assault say they were not informed by gardaí of support services, according to a new survey.

Free bereavement counselling must be offered to victims of crime who suffer traumatic events, support groups have said.

A conviction has only been secured in less than a quarter of the more than 300 cases of witness and juror intimidation in which proceedings were initiated over the last 10 years.

IRELAND has the highest homicide rate of young men in western Europe and the second highest rate of knife killings, according to the World Health Organisation.

IRELAND needs to hold a “national debate” on knife crime, a victims’ support group has said.

THE Rape Crisis Network will highlight the need for specialist Garda training on sexual violence when it meets Justice Minister Dermot Ahern today.

VICTIMS of serious crime must continue to be allowed to reveal in court how they have been affected by their ordeal, campaigners said yesterday.

“IT does stick in your head, to go in and open a coffin and look at your beautiful daughter in absolute bits.”