Number of sex assaults on minors increased during lockdown

CSO crime statistics for Q2 2020 were again published “under reservation” — meaning the agency continued to have concerns over the underlying quality of data. File picture: PA

Murder threats, assaults on certain women, and sexual assaults on minors rose during the height of the Covid-19 restrictions, new figures show.

Drug dealing, weapons offences, and aggravated burglaries also increased between April and June, compared to the same period in 2019.