USING a syringe as an offensive weapon is to become an offence under a new law being prepared by the Department of Justice.
The Department said yesterday that a Non Fatal Offences Against the Person Bill is.to be introduced, which will specifically mention syringes, and increase penalities for using them as a weapon.
The new law will allow for sentences of five years or more, and a substantial fine, on conviction.
The announcement came as two syringe attacks were reported in Dublin city yesterday. In the first, shortly before 3 p.m., a staff member in a shop at Dorset Street had a blood filled syringe held to his neck before his two attackers made off with about £130.
In the second, just after 5 p.m. at Sundrive Road, three youths stole a small amount of cash from a man after attacking him with a knife and a syringe.
Currently most threats with syringes are treated as assaults, carrying a maximum sentence of one year. An attack with a syringe can also lead to a charge of actual bodily harm, carrying a sentence of up to five years.
Provision already exists for a charge of attempted murder with possible life imprisonment on conviction.
The Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen, said the new Bill "will restate in modern statutory form the law relating to various forms of assault, threats to kill or cause serious harm, coercion and harassment (stalking), poisoning, false imprisonment and abduction of children".
"While there is a wide range of charges that can be brought under the existing law against people who threaten or injure others, the Minister, having reviewed the matter in the light of the increasing incidence of offences involving syringes, considers it right and proper to mark society's disapproval of this form of criminal conduct by creating a new and specific offence in relation to syringes," the Department said.
Whether carrying a syringe without lawful purpose is to be an offence remains unclear. Under Section 9 of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990, the carrying of an article "which has a blade or which is sharply pointed" in a public place is considered an offence.
However, the section also says a person has a defence against the charge if they can show they are carrying the item for good reason or with lawful authority. Drug addicts are able to cite their addiction as the reason for carrying a syringe.
The level of syringe use in robberies and other attacks has not been officially measured although anecdotal evidence suggests it has become increasingly prevalent, with many shopkeepers and filling station owners identifying it as the most common weapon used against them. Prison officers are instructed to treat all syringes as if they contain HIV positive blood.
The Minister said the Bill would be published "in the coming weeks".
