Sex crimes fall but murder rate rises

THE number of sex offences and assaults fell in the first three months of this year but the number of robberies, murders and murder threats have increased, according to new figures.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) released its quarterly figures yesterday, which show that 16 people were murdered in the first three months of this year, one more than the same period in 2009. In the year up to the end of March, 55 people were murdered.

The number of murder threats soared in the first quarter of the year, up 60% to 85, while robbery and extortion increased by almost 25%. There was a slight increase in the number of non-aggravated burglaries