Violent and sexual crime on the rise – CSO figures

VIOLENT and sexual crime increased in County Wexford last year compared to 2017, the latest Central Statistics Office figures reveal.

The recorded crime figures for the first three quarterly periods of 2018 show increases in rape, sexual assault and violent assault offences, while there was a drop in drug, theft and robbery offences.

There were 90 rape and sexual assault offences in 2018 compared to 70 in 2017.

12 ‘other sexual offences’ were recorded in 2018 compared to three in 2017.

Violent attempts or threats to murder or assault someone stood at 438 compared to 376 for the corresponding period in the previous year.

Gardaí investigated six murder threat cases in the first nine months of last year – on a par for the same period of 2017.

33 harassment cases were probed compared to 31 in 2017.

There were 91 recorded serious assault causing harm offences compared to 79 the previous year and 385 ‘other assault’ cases compared to 251 in 2017.

The number of dangerous and negligent acts committed in the county came to 222 in 2018 compared to 210 in 2017.

There were two child abandonment, neglect and cruelty cases investigated by gardaí in 2018 compared to nine the previous year.

No offences for prostitution were recorded last year compared to one in the first nine months of 2017.

Offences against government, justice procedures and the organisation of crime numbered 141, compared to 151 in 2017.

Public order offences increased from 445 in 2017 to 484 last year as the night-life in towns across the county has increased in parallel with the improving economy.

46 arson crimes were recorded compared to 37 the previous year, while offensive weapons cases numbered 14 compared to 24 in 2017.

On the drugs crime front gardaí investigated seven cultivation, manufacturing drugs cases, compared to ten the previous year.

The number of possession for sale or supply of drugs cases came to 51, compared to 58 in 2017.

Theft from the person cases numbered 15 compared to 15 in 2017 and theft from the shop rose slightly from 370 in 2017 to 372 last year.

There was a significant reduction in reported burglary offences, dropping from 453 between January and October 2017 to 327 for the same period last year.

There were five robbery from the person incidents last year recorded compared to nine in 2017.

Chief Superintendent for the Wexford Garda division Paddy McMenamin said there has been an increase in sexual assault victims coming forward and pursuing cases against their attackers.

‘We put the sexual assault figures down to more people reporting. We are looking at the positives in that more people are more confident about coming forward to report crime. Some of these crimes are historic.’

Supt McMenamin said the garda victim support unit is working with victims. ‘We are putting a lot of emphasis into victims and that is being borne out (in the statistics).’

He said gardaí are dealing with a large volume of domestic violence cases, adding that new Domestic Violence legislation will provide greater protections for victims.

He said domestic violence can take several forms from harassment to assault to breach of protection orders.

“There were 90 rapes and sexual assaults compared to 70 the previous year”