CRIME FIGURES for the Republic show a sharp rise in the number of sexual offences, kidnappings and drug-related crimes between 2006 and 2010, according to Central Statistics Office figures, published yesterday.
They also reveal a wide disparity in detection rates across different crime categories, with 75 per cent of burglaries going undetected in 2010 compared with just 17 per cent of homicides.
The figures outline trends in recorded and detected offences across 16 different crime categories. They showed the volume of sexual offences jumped by 66 per cent from 1,405 in 2006 to 2,339 in 2010.
Gardaí cautioned that the rise reflected a decision to conduct a review of outstanding allegations, including historic child sex abuse cases.
There was also a sharp rise in the number of other serious crime categories, including kidnappings and related offences (up 59 per cent); controlled drug offences (up 40 per cent); gun and explosives-related offences (up 31 per cent); and robbery, extortion and hijacking offences (up 28 per cent).
Conversely, the figures showed a decline in the murder rate, which fell by 35 per cent from 138 in 2006 to 90 in 2010.
There was a fall-off in the number of crimes linked to property and environmental damage (down 9 per cent) as well as a decline in road and traffic offences (down 6 per cent).
The CSO report, which also examined detection rates across the 16 offence groupings, found that just a quarter of the 25,377 burglaries carried out in 2010 were solved.
Similarly, only 38 per cent of the 76,492 theft and other related offences were detected in 2010, leaving 47,354 cases unresolved.
In 2010, just over 54 per cent of the 2,339 sexual offences were detected, indicating 1,066 offences went undetected.
Relevant proceedings were taken in only 304 of the total sexual offences recorded with court proceedings commenced in relation to 278.
The figures showed no females were convicted for sexual offences in 2010 while the majority (91.5 per cent) of those convicted were for crimes of rape and sexual assault.
The detection rate for the 55 murders, five manslaughters and 30 deaths by dangerous driving recorded in 2010 was 83 per cent.
Criminal charges were brought in 64 cases, while 15 remain undetected. The detection rate for drugs offences was also high, with more than 98 per cent of the 19,943 cases solved.
Of the 4,092 recorded incidents of weapons and explosives offences in 2010, gardaí successfully detected 90 per cent of the offences.
The figures showed little change in the detection rates for the majority of crime categories between 2006 and 2010.
Males aged less than 25 years old accounted for one half of those convicted in relation to homicides in 2010 while no females were convicted for these offences.
On a per capita basis, Dublin Metropolitan Region recorded the highest murder/manslaughter rate, with 2.5 offences recorded per 100,000 persons.
Within Dublin, the north inner city saw the highest rate with 4.7 deaths per 100,000 persons.
CRIME BEHIND THE NUMBERS:
While the CSO’s normal quarterly and yearly crime statistics give a breakdown of offences, the statistics, apart from detailing the long-term trends across the various crime categories, reflect the detection rates and legal proceedings arising out of the original offences figures.
