Ireland’s sexual offence rate is 43% above EU average

The average number of sexual offences reported in Ireland between 2019 and 2023 was 43% higher than the EU average.

The average number reported in Ireland between 2019 and 2023 was 43% higher than the EU average.

The report showed that there has been an increase in the number of recorded sexual offence incidents across the EU, with the overall average rate just over 40 per 100,000 people between 2019 and 2023.

However, in Ireland, it was 57.5 per 100,000, which is more than 43% above the EU average.

The Law Society of Ireland said this research marks the first extensive comparison, documenting how Ireland’s justice system compares to others across the globe.

It also stipulated that these numbers reflect the rise in the number of people reporting sexual offences in recent years, including incidents that occurred in the past.

Despite researchers saying it was not possible to compare detection rates for crimes across jurisdictions, they say there are clear differences in this country in the detection rates for crimes.

For instance, detection rates for sexual offences were much lower than average - they ranged between 20% in 2019 and 2020 and 16% in 2022.

The research also shows Ireland has the lowest number of judges per 100,000 people compared with other European countries. 

It takes three times longer for a case to come to an end - or to be thrown out - in Ireland, compared to the European average. 

The data showed that in 2022 it took an average of 541 days to dispose of a case, which is more than three times the EU average. Meanwhile, Irish courts also cleared fewer cases per year than other EU member states.

The rate of theft was 14% higher than the EU average between 2019 and 2023, while Ireland’s homicide rates were found to be lower than the average rates for the same period.

Mark Garrett, Director General of the society, told RTE that this report showed an urgent need for more comprehensive and transparent data collection and reporting across the Irish justice system.