Calls to crime victims' helpline soar
Calls to the National Crime Victims’ Helpline jumped 35% last year, it emerged today.
Almost 2,000 people made contact with the support service both by telephone and email, helpline organisers said.
The announcement comes just weeks after it was revealed 2007 was the bloodiest year on record with the number of killings soaring to an all-time high, while other crimes such as drug offences, arson and fraud also rose.
But Helpline co-ordinator Maeve Ryan believes the surge in calls is attributed to greater public awareness about the service.
“We believe that due to ongoing promotion more people are aware of our services – and that more people are now deciding to seek assistance in dealing with the after effects of crime.
“More and more we notice that people are using the internet to establish our existence, get information on our services – and then make contact.
“It is clear to us that young people in particular use the internet to source all kinds of services – and this is something new for us – and something we will have to cater for into the future,” she said.
The National Crime Victims’ Helpline provides an opportunity for people who are feeling isolated, anxious, angry, sad, nervous and afraid as a result of a crime to find support on the phone.
The majority of people who contacted the service last year suffered an assault or were curious about how their case would progress within the criminal justice system.
Ms Ryan said the figures were released to coincide with European Victims Week to highlight the service’s existence.
Statistics released from the CSO last month revealed 2007 was the bloodiest year on record with 84 violent deaths, fuelling concerns about incidents of crime nationwide.
There was also a huge jump – of more than 60% – in recorded murder attempts and threats, while drug offences rose sharply by almost 22%.
The CSO report also showed reported cases of fraud last year rose significantly, by more than 38% on the previous year, while arson was up by more than 22%.
However sexual offences were down by 10%, robberies decreased by more than 12% while burglaries and assaults were also down slightly.
