Calls from victims of theft to helpline surged 66% last year, new report finds
The report highlighted the number of contacts regarding thefts rose from 80 in 2023 to 133 last year.
The number of victims of theft seeking support last year from the Crime Victims Helpline surged by 66%, according to its annual report.
The Crime Victims Helpline assists victims of crime by providing information and support to callers. Last year, it dealt with 6,869 contacts, up from 6,507 the previous year.
The most common reason for contacts was assault, accounting for 623 contacts. Harassment and stalking accounted for 595 contacts to the service.
However, the report highlighted the number of contacts regarding thefts rose from 80 in 2023 to 133 last year. The report also noted burglary contacts increased from 79 to 115, a jump of 46%.
The report highlights a lack of dedicated services for “so-called general crimes — such as theft, burglary, robbery and assault — beyond victim support at court, which only provides assistance during trial proceedings”.
“This leaves a significant number of crime victims without practical, in-person support for essential needs like meeting with gardaí or completing compensation applications. In response, CVH [Crime Victims Helpline] has drafted a pilot proposal to provide enhanced support services for victims of these undeserved crimes,” it said.
Analysis of crime figures in Cork City and county by the in recent days highlighted theft is the most common crime in Cork City — particularly in the city centre.
Anglesea Street Garda Station received 1,309 reports of thefts and related offences among the 3,328 crimes recorded by the station last year. Bridewell Garda Station handled 1,743 crime reports last year, including 696 thefts and related offences, while Watercourse Road Garda Station dealt with 537 reported thefts offences among a total of 1,524 crimes in the same 12-month period.
The number of contacts received by the Crime Victims Helpline about racist hate crimes almost trebled last year, according to the report.
The report outlines it received 44 reports of racist hate-related crimes in 2024 – up from 15 in 2023, describing it as a “an alarming increase”.
It comes as the Indian Embassy in Ireland has warned its citizens about an increase “in the instances of physical attacks reported against Indian citizens in Ireland recently”.
The statement on the embassy’s website says: “The embassy is in touch with the authorities concerned of Ireland in this regard. At the same time, all Indian citizens in Ireland are advised to take reasonable precautions for their personal security and avoid deserted areas, especially in odd hours."
The warning followed two recent incidents in Dublin, in which two Indian men were targeted. In one, a man was attacked by a gang of youths in Sean Walsh Park, near the Square in Tallaght, and his phone was stolen.
In the second incident, in Parkhill Lawns, Kilnamanagh, an Indian man was stripped of his trousers and sustained serious injuries, including lacerations to his face and head. Gardaí are investigating that incident as a possible hate-motivated crime.
Garda figures for last year showed a 4% increase in hate crimes and hate-related incidents — up from 651 in 2023 to 676 in 2024. The figures related to any criminal offence perceived by the victim or any other person “to be motivated by hostility or prejudice, based on actual or perceived age, disability, race, colour, nationality, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or gender”, according to gardaí.
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