CSO records spike in fraud, assaults and sexual offences 

A standout trend in the CSO statistics is in relation to reported fraud offences, which have more than doubled over the last two years, from 7,834 in 2020 to 16,929.  Picture: iStock

Serious assaults and cases of harassment recorded by gardaí have increased significantly over the last year.

The trend was most pronounced in the final quarter of 2021, with particularly sharp increases in assaults involving male victims.

The findings are contained in the latest official crime statistics from the CSO, which, as usual, are published with an advisory that the agency remains concerned at the quality of the underlying garda figures.

A standout trend in the statistics is in relation to reported fraud offences, which have more than doubled over the last two years, from 7,834 in 2020 to 16,929.

The final quarter of 2021 recorded the highest number of fraud offences since the CSO started compiling data in 2006.

Gardaí are continuing a week-long campaign highlighting the threat posed by fraud to individuals and organisations.

The CSO figures show a 32% reduction in murders, from 34 in 2020 to 23 in 2021.

Recorded sexual offences are continuing to increase, up 12% in the last year, which is thought to be, in part, due to more reporting of the offences.

Gardaí are concerned at the rise in assaults, a broad category of offences, which is up 6%. 

Within that:

• Serious assaults (assaults causing harm) increased by 12%;

• Threats to kill are up 7%;

• Harassment is up 11%

 Within the last quarter of 2021, compared to the last quarter of 2020, assaults increased even more, by 19%.

A breakdown in those quarterly figures of victims by gender shows that assaults of males increased by 24%, compared to a 14% increase among females.

A further breakdown by age reveals that the biggest increases among males was among 30-44 year-olds (up 40%) and 18-29 year-olds (up 37%).

Among females, the biggest increase was in the 18-29 year-old category (up 25%).

Reported burglaries continued to drop in 2021 (down 21%).

Recorded drug offences are down 13%. This includes a 16% fall in drug supply offences, but a 9.5% rise in drug importation cases.

Kidnapping offences increased by 27%, but this included a four-fold rise in abductions of a child under the age of 16 (from eight to 35).

Human trafficking offences increased from 20 to 35.

In relation to the 116% jump in recorded fraud offences, the CSO said the rise is largely driven by unauthorised transactions and attempts to obtain personal or banking information online or by phone.

It said the number of fraud offences in the fourth quarter of 2021 was the highest since the CSO began compiling statistics in 2006.

The Garda Southern Region showed the highest increase where the number of fraud incidents were almost two-and-a-half times the level in 2020. The Dublin Metropolitan region recorded the lowest rate of increase at 82%.

Justice Minister Helen McEntee said: “The latest statistics from the CSO show welcome decreases in many categories of crime. While the continued decrease in incidents of burglary is heartening, as is the 50% reduction in homicides and related offences, and the 26% reduction in controlled drug offences, the increase in fraud crime reminds us of the ongoing challenge faced by An Garda Síochána in tackling theft and other serious crime.”