Significant rise in calls to helpline

THERE was a 60% jump in the number of phone calls to the Crime Victims’ Helpline in the first three months of this year.

New figures show that 479 calls were made in the first quarter of 2007, compared to 295 in the same period last year.

Maeve Ryan, service co-ordinator with the helpline, said the rise was due to more people knowing about the service rather than a surge in crime.