Overall crime stats 'very good', says leading criminologist, despite homicide increase

A leading criminologist says an increase in the number of homicides and manslaughters in Ireland last year is worrying, but overall crime stats for 2012 released by the CSO yesterday are "very good".

There were 60 murders and manslaughters last year - 15 more violent deaths than in 2011.

Sexual offences also went up, but there were drops in many other areas.

John O'Keefe, a criminologist at Trinity College in Dublin, said: "These figures are from a criminological point of view very good. We have 15 headline offences, only three have gone up and a massive 12 have gone down.

"If you compare that to 2006-2010, it's almost inverse because 11 went up and four went down.

"But homicide is certainly a big worry, as indeed are sexual offences."