Fall in murders and sex assaults revealed

The number of murders, sexual assaults and assaults has fallen in the first three months of this year, according to figures published today.

The overall crime rate for the first quarter of 2005 fell by 11% compared to the first quarter of 2004.

Justice Minister Michael McDowell said violent deaths had fallen by 25% from 12 to nine.

“We are frequently told that the rates of violent deaths are going up, yet the figures tell us otherwise. However, this should not in any way weaken our determination that the actions of those in our society who would take the life will result in very severe punishment,” he said.

There were also falls of 15% in the numbers of assaults causing harm, 31% in thefts from the person, and 13% in aggravated burglaries. The number of sexual offences fell by 33% overall.

Mr McDowell said that despite a 43% reduction in the number of cash-in-transit robberies, the level of such crimes and the value of cash stolen was unacceptably high.

“I am determined that security arrangements in place, in particular of cash-in-transit, meet international best practice. The economy and the state cannot be expected to pay for any failure to do so.”

However, the Labour Party said the statistics only tell part of the story.

“These figures do not reflect the reality of the fact that within the past month we have seen armed gangs walk away with almost five million euro in two of the biggest armed robberies in the history of the state – robberies in which workers and their families were terrorised and put in fear of their lives,” said Justice spokesman Joe Costello TD.

Fine Gael said the statistics showed that crime levels were much higher than when the Fianna Fáil/PD Government took office in 1997.

“On an annualised basis, the figures for the first quarter of 2005 will come to almost 95,000 incidences of serious crime. This is a rise of 12% from the level of 85,000 in 1998, the first full year in government for the coalition,” said Justice spokesman Jim O’Keefe.

The provisional figures will be published later this year in the Garda Commissioner’s annual report. The report of the Expert Group on Crime Statistics last year found that Ireland was in a ‘relatively backward position’. In response, an Essential Crimes Statistics Unit is to be set up to enhance the quality and breath of the information.

It will be staffed and operated by the Central Statistics Office in Cork in co-operation with the Gardaí and will take in information from new sources such as the Prison Service, the Courts Service, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Probation and Welfare Service.