Justice system must be more transparent

SET against the horrifying backdrop of child sexual abuse

Although by international standards, Ireland still has a relatively low crime rate, the report makes depressing reading. Rather than depicting the problem in terms of cold columns of statistics, it takes a much broader look at the underlying causes of crime.

Confirming the growing perception that Irish society is facing an alarming upsurge in the level of crime, it highlights dramatic increases in three major categories which feature regularly in the media murder, sexual crimes and drugs offences.