25% rise in tourists seeking help after suffering crime here

The number of visitors to Ireland who sought support after being victims of crime spiked by almost 25% last year.

The Irish Tourist Assistance Service (ITAS) offered support and assistance to nearly 900 people who had fallen victim to crime and other traumatic events during their visit here in 2017.

The most common crime perpetrated against tourists was theft from person (39% of referrals). There was an increase in referral of theft from cars (11% of referrals), while a small number of tourists (15) were referred after violent crime such as aggravated theft, assault, sexual assault and robbery.