Reports of sexual offences rise seven percent in past 12 months

The report said that ongoing garda efforts to improve data quality and recording may be a contributing factor to the upward trend in recorded incidents of both sexual offences and crimes against the person in recent years.

There has been a seven percent increase in reported sexual offences in the 12 months to March of this year, recent Garda figures indicate.

While the causes of the rise are not clear, Garda HQ believes it is not just down to an increase in cases but also due to more reporting among victims and improvements in how gardaí gather and record data.

Garda analysts have identified a gradual increase in reported sexual offences since 2015, continuing until the end of 2019, before levelling off during 2020 and early 2021 and slowly rising again over the subsequent year.

The Garda Commissioner’s monthly report to the Policing Authority said that the Garda Information Services Centre (GISC) had implemented a quality check on sexual offences data.

“Sexual offences have been increasing since early 2015 and although having plateaued in 2020, this upward trend has resumed in 2021,” the report said.

“In the 12 months to March 2022, there has been a seven percent increase in reported sexual offences compared to the 12 months prior.” 

It added that the increase "may be partially attributable to a change in reporting behaviour whereby victims are increasingly likely to report sexual crime”. 

The report said that ongoing garda efforts to improve data quality and recording may be a contributing factor to the upward trend in recorded incidents of both sexual offences and crimes against the person in recent years.

The report said that around two thirds of assaults typically occur in public locations.

“It, therefore, cannot be concluded that the increase in sexual offences (in recent years) is solely due to an increased level of incidents occurring,” it said.

In relation to crimes against the person — the assault group of offences being the biggest category — there was a 17 percent increase in the 12 months to April of this year, compared to the previous year.

The report said there was a small overall reduction during Covid-19, which, it said, was likely due to decreased public mobility and closure of pubs during certain periods.

It said a steady increase in 2021 is likely to be associated with the gradual easing of restrictions throughout the year.

The report said that since July 2021, these crimes were now back to the pre-pandemic levels reported in 2019.

“The most common offences in this category are minor assault and assault causing harm,” it said.

The report said that around two thirds of assaults typically occur in public locations.

“Throughout the pandemic, changes in overall assault levels have been driven primarily by changes in assault in public places which increased or decreased in line with the level of Covid-19 restrictions.

“Public assault increased by 41 percent in the 12 months to April 2022 compared with the 12 months previous, while assault in residences has increased by three percent.”