Ireland has one of lowest rates of assault-related death in EU, new figures show

But Garda fears of rise in general assaults causing harm before the impact of Covid

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris linked a plateau in the rise in crimes against the person to 'decreased public mobility and the closure of pubs' during the Covid pandemic. 

Ireland has one of the lowest rates of assault-related death within the EU, although gardaí have expressed concern that the overall incidence of assaults causing harm was on the rise again before the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

New figures published by the European Commission show Ireland had the second-lowest rate of deaths due to assaults in 2017 — the latest year for which provisional comparative data is available as many deaths can only be classified following the conclusion of inquests and criminal trials which can take several years to complete.