Alarming rise in sex offences in Kilkenny, sharp drop in burglaries locally

A sizable increase in the number of sexual offences were reported in the Kilkenny-Carlow Garda Division in the first three months of this year, new figures reveal.

However burglaries locally were down considerably in the first quarter 2020, according to crime statistics for published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) today.

They show the number of sexual offences in the Kilkenny-Carlow Garda Division increased by more than 40% from the previous quarter, with 42 sexual offences reported in the first quarter of 2020 compared to 24 in the same period last year.

Burglaries were down significantly, with just 79 reported in the months of January, February, and March, down from 127 in the previous quarter. It should be noted there was a significant spike in burglaries in the last quarter of 2019.

Two homicides in the Kilkenny-Carlow division were recorded in the first three months of the year. There were no reported homicides in the whole of 2019.

Attempts or threats to harm were down 33% in the first quarter where just 88 instances were reported as opposed to 124 in the last three months of 2019.

Drug offenses, including possession for personal, possession for sale and supply, as well as controlled drug offenses remained roughly the same, despite the quarter coinciding with the lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

There was a 50% increase in weapons and explosives offences, up from eight in the last three months of 2019, to 12 in the first quarter of this year.

Public order offences remained roughly on par with previous quarters, while there was a 20% increase in offences against the Government, justice procedures and offences involving organised crime.

The figures were taken from the year starting January 1, 2020 to March 31, 2020.

A spokesperson for the CSO said: “It is important to note that travel and other restrictions introduced during March 2020 in response to the Covid-19 crisis are likely to impact on the number of crime incidents recorded at the end of Q1 2020.”