Ireland sees 26% rise in robbery, extortion, and hijacking offenses

DUBLIN, Ireland: Incidents of robbery, extortion, and hijacking surged by 26 percent in the past year, reaching 2,601 cases, according to new figures released by the Central Statistics Office.

Theft and related offenses also increased 12 percent, totaling 74,144 incidents in the last quarter of 2023. The rise was largely driven by a spike in theft from shops.

Additionally, there were slight upticks in recorded crimes related to weapons and explosives (five percent), damage to property and the environment (three percent), and burglary and related offenses (one percent). However, the number of recorded incidents of controlled drug offenses remained relatively stable over the year.

On the positive side, incidents of homicide and related offenses decreased by 19 percent, primarily due to a decline in murder cases. Other crime categories also saw reductions, with sexual offenses leading the way with an 11 percent decrease, followed by public order and other social code offenses (eight percent decrease) and dangerous or negligent acts (seven percent decrease). Fraud and deception offenses also dropped by three percent, totaling 11,292 incidents over the year.

The data also revealed a fluctuating trend in burglary offenses, with numbers decreasing from 2019 to 2021 before rising again in 2022 and 2023. However, despite the recent increase, the figures for 2023 were still 43 percent lower than those recorded in 2019.

Across different age groups and genders, the profile of victims varied. While there were decreases in the number of male victims under 18 years and between 45 and 59 years, the number of victims aged 60 or more increased. Conversely, female victims saw a decrease across all age groups except those aged 60 or above, indicating a mixed experience in victim profiles.