Significant rise in sex and drug offences in Kilkenny

There was a noticeable increase in sexual offences and drug arrests in the Kilkenny Garda Division over past 12 months.

But over the same period there has been a significant drop in the number of thefts and public order incidents in the county.

New figures published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show the impact the lockdown has had on crime, with domestic crimes increasing while crimes against others and property decreasing.

The figures also show a massive increase in drug offences, especially drug driving.

The number of sexual offences, including rape and sexual assault, recorded in the Kilkenny Division increased by 17% year on year with 134 incidents reported from the end of March 2020 up until March 2021.

Drug crimes were significantly up during the course of these 12 months with 698 reported incidents compared to 606 in the previous 12 months, a 16% increase, this despite the majority of the year being spent in some form of lockdown.

Drug driving offences shot up by 176%, from 25 to 69 during the course of lockdown.

Driving while under the influence of alcohol offences dropped by 33% over the same period.

There was a sharp drop in thefts and burglaries over the course of 2020. Kilkenny Gardai recorded just 829 reports thefts or burglaries last year compared to 1,248 in 2019, a drop of 33%.

Attempts/threats to murder, assaults, harassments and related offences were on par to prior to the lockdown, down just 5%, but public order offences were down sharply, from 1,115 to 773 over the past 12 months, 33% less.

There were also a 44% fewer burglaries over the 12 months until the end of March this year.