Courts reveal 15% rise in murder and rape cases

THE number of murder and rape cases coming before the courts last year rose by over 15%.

The Central Criminal Court recorded a total of 35 murder cases in 2005 — a 25% increase on the previous year, while the number of rape and sexual assault cases went up by 10% to 44. The figures contained in the annual report of the Courts Service, which was published yesterday, show a reversal of a downward trend over recent years in serious criminal cases coming before the courts.

Fine Gael justice spokesperson Jim O’Keeffe claimed the increases in the number of rape and murder cases before the courts were matched by a failure to secure convictions and greater sentencing leniency.