Increase in sexual offences but 50% drop in murders in last 12 months

There has been a near 50% drop in the number of murders over the last 12 months, but both sexual offences and assaults have risen sharply over the same period.

The latest Central Statistics Office figures on crimes reported to gardaí show there was a 35.7% decline in the numbers of homicide offences from 84 in the 12 months to September this year, compared to 54 in the same period to September 2014.