Sexual assaults soar by 42% over last year

SEXUAL assaults, shootings and theft against the person cases have jumped in the third quarter of this year, compared to the same period in 2002, new statistics released yesterday show.

However, the number of headline offences that is, serious crime fell by 1% in the last quarter compared to the same quarter last year.

Figures show there were 468 sex crimes in the last quarter, compared to 397 in July-Sept 2002 a rise of 18%.

There was a 42% rise in the number of sexual assaults, a distinct category within the sex crime statistics.

Justice Minister Michael McDowell described this as worrying but added that there were 31 fewer cases of rape and one less case of aggravated sexual assault.

Breda Allen, chairwoman of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, said: "It's difficult to explain why there is such a large increase in sexual assaults for the last quarter. I would express caution in reading too much into it, as the minister himself has advised."

Serious assaults and murders have fallen, according to provisional figures published by Mr McDowell.

The quarterly figures record a rise in shootings (17%) and significant increases in aggravated burglary (33%), theft from the person (11%) and robbery from the person (15%).

However, serious assaults are down (31%), robberies from cash in transit are down (44%), possession of firearms are down (18%) and drug offences are down (13%).

Labour Party justice spokesman Joe Costello said: "The sharp increase in violent crime and crimes against the person and property are deeply alarming and show the urgent need for more gardaí on the beat."

Mr McDowell also published statistics for the first nine months of this year, compared to the same period in 2002. These show:

A 3% drop in overall headline crime, from 81,783 to 78,973.

A 10% drop in murders, from 42 to 38.

A 58% drop in aggravated sexual assaults, from 19 to eight.

A 26% drop in assault causing harm, from 4072 to 3005.

However, they also show a 23% rise in unlawful carnal knowledge sex with a minor and a 17% increase in theft from the person.

Ms Allen said they had not noticed any fall in people reporting sexual offences and said that rapes had risen recently by 8%.

She added that only a small percentage of victims reported incidents to gardaí.

Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children chief Paul Gilligan said he was saddened by the rise in unlawful carnal knowledge cases, but said he thought it was due to higher reporting rates and increased garda prosecution.