Measures will be introduced by the Garda Siochana from January 1st which aim to offer practical and emotional assistance to crime victims, a Dublin conference was told yesterday. The "Victims of Crime" seminar, organised by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, was opened by the Minister for Justice.
Mr O'Donoghue said he suggested a conference in order to bring together everybody with an interest in the work.
He said he had increased the financial aid for the victim support area from £230,000 this year to £645,000 for next year.
One speaker, Supt Noel McLoughlin, of the Garda's community relations section, said that from January 1st a new policy document would be implemented.
Since May 1992, a pilot crime referral system had operated in conjunction with Victim Support, whereby gardai visiting crime victims would automatically refer specific categories of crime to the local Victim Support branch.
This had been extended to all Garda stations.
The spectrum of crime referred had also been extended.
Investigating gardai would also leave an information card containing their name, Garda station address and telephone number with victims.
This would be followed with a letter from the area superintendent giving information about the recording and investigation of the crime and availability of specialist agencies.
Supt McLoughlin said the second element of the policy encapsulated a charter for victims of crime.
This contained advice which gardai investigating crime would give to crime victims including information on the investigation process; the prosecution of the accused; the trial process and role as witness; court expenses; investigation of sexual offences; and offender release, including bail.
"These strategies represent an integrative approach to investigating crime and ensuring that crime victims are not accessorised as part of the investigative and prosecution process," he said.
Statistics from a survey of crime victims were presented to the conference by Mr Kieran O'Dwyer, head of Garda research.
The survey of 959 victims was carried out in 1996 on crimes committed between November 1994 and October 1996.
The nature of crime did not include sexual assaults, any that involved death, or against gardai.
It found that 79 per cent of assault victims were male. However, for muggings, 88 per cent of the victims were female and 65 per cent of thefts involving violence were also against women.
More than half the victims of burglaries with violence, 55 per cent, were aged 65 and over and 21 per cent of burglary victims generally were over 65. A total of 44 per cent of victims of burglary with violence were living alone.
Mr O'Dwyer said that 86 per cent of the crimes were committed in cities and towns and most offenders were male, at 79 per cent.
The satisfaction with the gardai was very high for most aspects but very poor for being kept informed on the progress of the investigation.
Ms Noreen Byrne, of the National Women's Council, said she was getting impatient listening to budgets which failed to address support for victims. With the Celtic Tiger and growing economy, nobody was prepared to give £20 million to the Rape Crisis Centre, prevention services, and more care for the vulnerable in society like the elderly.
"No one is willing to give money to these types of people," she said.
The conference continues today.