Victim Support has expressed concern at the increase in personal attacks and assaults on young people. There has been a marked rise in the number of unprovoked attacks referred to the organisation this year.
Announcing its figures for the first six months of this year yesterday, the organisation said it had dealt with 3,536 victims of crime. Around 46 per cent were victims of burglary and larceny.
The chief executive of Victim Support, Ms Lillian McGovern, noted with concern the increase in attacks on young males between the ages of 17 and 25.
The organisation's hospital support service, which provides assistance to those who have required treatment - mainly in Dublin casualty departments - saw 42 victims from January to June. Ms McGovern said their figures indicated that personal, unprovoked attacks had further increased last month, with 12 cases referred to the organisation.
Victim Support has called on the Government to install CCTV at known "target spots" such as bus stops, taxi ranks, DART stations and piers.
"It seems that the arrival of the summer has had a huge impact on the number of serious attacks, particularly in the Dublin area," said Ms McGovern. "Those most susceptible . . . are young and visibly vulnerable."
The organisation's tourist service, which provides support to those affected by crime, has assisted 240 tourists over six months. Larceny and theft from cars accounted for more than 70 per cent of those helped.
Ms McGovern questioned whether the recent extension of pub opening hours had contributed to the increase, and whether foreigners were being targeted because the culprit calculated the victim would return home and not give evidence in court.
"We are also very aware through our work that many of the recent attacks on young people in our city and suburbs are never reported to gardai. Fear of reprisals as well as lack of confidence in follow-up by gardai is often cited as reasons for not reporting.
"Parents concerned for their children's safety often place curfews on them for their own protection. In the meantime, those who commit these heinous crimes continue to roam the streets actively seeking out trouble."
Statistics issued this week by a number of Dublin hospitals indicate that at least 1,400 victims of assault or unprovoked attacks have been treated for injuries so far this year. The Mater Hospital in north Dublin said it had treated 10 or 11 cases of unprovoked attacks in casualty every week this year.
In an incident yesterday, a 73-year-old woman was assaulted and robbed by a man and a woman in Dublin's south inner city. The attack took place at the junction of James Street and Basin Street at around 1.30 a.m. The woman was treated in hospital for bruising of her face.
Gardai in Dun Laoghaire are also continuing their investigations into the attack on a 12-year-old German girl, who received a cut to the face when she fell resisting an attempt by a gang to grab her rucksack last weekend.