There has been a massive fall off in the number of sex crimes in 2003, according to provisional Garda figures released this evening.
Overall the statistics show crime has fallen by two per cent with murders down 12 per cent, manslaughter down 14 per cent and assault causing harm down 21 per cent.
The most dramatic reduction was in sex crimes, with two rape categories down 19 and 33 per cent and aggravated sexual assault down 51 per cent. The number of offences involving possession of firearms are up by 43 per cent.
The Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, welcomed the drop particularly in rape and violent crime categories but warned against overstating the improvements. He says they showed the "upward spiral" in crime had been halted.
"We have to be careful with the overall figure of a reduction of two per cent because that figure attaches the same statistical weight to a bicycle-theft as a murder," Mr McDowell said.
He said the reductions in violent crime and public order offences coincided with the Intoxicating Liquor Act and Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act which came into force last year. He congratulated the Garda's Operation Encounter targetting public order offences.
Comparing figures from the last quarter of 2003 to the previous year, Mr McDowell noted rises in burglary (up nine per cent) and robbery from the person (up four per cent). He said he expected the latter figure to fall as new security technology on mobile phones becomes available.
The Labour Party justice spokesman, Mr Joe Costello, said the figures "merit an extremely cautious welcome". He said the overall decrease of two per cent is a minor fall on the "appalling figures" of a 22 per cent increase for 2002 and an 18 per cent increase for the previous year.
The Dublin Central TD claimed the figures released today are "merely a selected presentation of facts, and as more facts emerge the public will recognise that we are still in the midst of a
de factocrime wave."
Fine Gael's justice spokesman, Mr John Deasy TD, said the figures do not reflect the reality on the streets. "Rape crimes, for example, are down according to the statistics but professionals dealing with victims of this crime will state the exact opposite," he said.
"To say that these figures indicate that the upward spiral of crime has halted is incorrect. The reality is that large numbers of people simply don't report crimes any more."