The number of rape cases heard by the Central Criminal Court fell last year for the first time in three years. The total number of rape cases in 2000 was 94, the first time it was below 100 since 1997, when the total was 72. In 1998 and 1999 130 rape cases were heard each year.
The number of murder cases remained roughly the same, at 32. In recent years the number of murder cases has swung between 23 and 33.
The figures are compiled by the registrar of the Central Criminal Court, which hears only rape and murder trials.
The figures also include the outcome of the trials, and show the majority of those charged with rape plead guilty. There were 60 guilty pleas to rape, often involving multiple counts, last year.
Fewer than half of the remainder who fought the charge before a jury were acquitted, with 19 being convicted and 12 found not guilty. The proportion of defendants who pleaded guilty in homicide cases was much lower, with only three guilty pleas. The majority of the cases that went to a jury resulted in a guilty verdict.
Of the 32 people charged with murder, only three were acquitted. Four were found guilty but insane, and one case was discharged. Fourteen were found guilty of murder, and 10 of manslaughter. Frequently they pleaded guilty to the lesser offence.
A murder conviction carries a mandatory life sentence. A manslaughter conviction can result in a life sentence, but usually the sentence is much lower.
The sentences for rape varied considerably, as did the seriousness of the offences and the number of the charges. The lightest sentence was six months, suspended, but jail sentences ranged from 18 months to 10 years.