Majority of homicide (77%) and assault (59%) victims in 2018 were male, but the majority (82%) of victims of sexual violence crimes were female

There were 57 male victims (77%) and 17 female victims (23%) of homicide recorded in 2018 in Ireland, according to latest available data from An Garda Síochána. There were 46 victims of murder or manslaughter (78% of whom were males) and 28 victims arising from Dangerous Driving Leading to Death (75% of whom were males). See Table 1.1 and Table 1.2.

82% of recorded victims of sexual violence in 2018 were females, while 18% of victims were males. 59% of recorded victims of physical assaults and related offences were males, while 41% of victims were females. See Figure 1.1.

These statistics are in respect of victims of crimes reported to An Garda Síochána only, and do not attempt to address the under-reporting, or otherwise, of such offences. The numbers of recorded female and male victims for years 2016 to 2018 are provided in Table 1.2.

The publication of these statistics establishes a new annual Recorded Crime Victims series. This is now possible following an assessment of the quality of data on PULSE relating to victims of serious crime incident types, as outlined in the CSO’s Review of the Quality of Crime Statistics 2017 (published in 2018), which showed that victim data for these crime types were well recorded. Data quality in respect of offenders is to be assessed following recent upgrades to the PULSE system, hence statistics relating to offenders are not included in the release at this time.

Almost two thirds of victims of assault and related offences in 2018 were aged between 18 and 44

32% of victims of assault and related offences in 2018 were aged between 18 and 29 years, and a further 32% were aged between 30 and 44 years. Combined, almost two thirds of victims of assault and related offences in 2018 were aged between 18 and 44 years. 14% of victims of assault and related offences in 2018 were aged under 18, while 5% were aged 60 or above.

32% of homicide victims recorded in 2018 were aged between 18 and 29 years. 15% of homicide victims were aged 60 years or above. See Figure 1.2.

The ages of victims in respect of incidents of sexual violence is examined later in this release. The numbers of victims by age in respect of incidents of sexual violence as well as homicide and assault and related offences for years 2016 to 2018 are provided in Table 1.3.

A quarter of sexual violence victims who reported to An Garda Síochána in 2018 reported offences which occurred more than ten years earlier

There is sometimes a separation in time between when a crime occurred and when it was reported or became known to An Garda Síochána.

This was found to be a particular feature of reported sexual offences which are sometimes not reported by victims for what can be a substantial period of time after the offence had taken place.

63% of victims (1,754 victims) who reported sexual violence crimes to An Garda Síochána in 2018 reported offences which are recorded as having taken place less than one year prior to the reporting of the crime.

The remaining 37% of victims (1,017 victims) reported offences which occurred more than one year prior to their reporting to An Garda Síochána, and the gap between the reporting date and the date of occurrence of the crime showed considerable variation. Indeed, a quarter (25%) of sexual violence victims (683 victims) who reported crimes in 2018 reported offences which occurred more than ten years earlier. See Figure 1.3. A breakdown of the period of time between the date of occurrence and the date reported to An Garda Síochána is provided in Table 1.4.

By contrast, fewer than 1% of assaults and related offences recorded in 2018 related to incidents which occurred more than one year before.

As such, recorded crime data in respect of sexual violence crimes, and victims, relates both to events which were reported to An Garda Síochána shortly after their occurrence, as well as to events which happened many years ago and are now being reported by victims. The profile of victims differs depending on this incident reporting gap, and consequently they are examined separately in the analysis which follows. For ease of understanding, the scenarios are referred to as ‘recent’ (i.e. crime reported within one year of occurrence) and ‘historic’ (i.e. crime reported more than one year from its occurrence) in the subsequent analysis. 

Nine out of ten victims of recent sexual violence reported in 2018 were females 

Some 33% of victims of recent sexual violence crimes reported in 2018 were females aged between 18 and 29 years at the time of the offence, a further 32% were females aged under 18 years, and 24% were aged 30 or above. See Figure 1.4. As such, 89% of victims of sexual violence crimes reported in 2018 where the crime occurred within one year of its reporting were females.

The number of male victims of recent crimes reported was significantly lower than the number of females (192 male victims, compared to 1,562 female victims), but within this cohort, the male victim was aged under 18 years at the time of the offence in 58% of cases (compared to 36% for females).

83% of historic sexual violence reported in 2018 refers to incidents which occurred in childhood

Some 56% of victims (566 victims) of historic sexual violence crimes reported in 2018 were females who were aged under 18 at the time of the offence. A further 28% of such victims (283 victims) were males aged under 18 at the time of the offence. See Figure 1.5. As such, 83% of all victims (849 victims) of historic sexual violence crimes reported in 2018 were aged under 18 when the offences took place. Overall, females were victims in just over two thirds (69%) of historic cases.

There was considerable variation in the age at which victims did report historic sexual violence crimes. 36% of victims who reported crimes which occurred more than one year before their reporting to An Garda Síochána were females aged 30 years or over, and 21% were males aged 30 years or over. See Figure 1.6.

The median¹ age for reporting historic sexual violence crimes was 34 years, and the median time period between reporting and when the offences occurred was 20 years. The median reporting age was 30 years old for females, and 40 years old for males. 

¹ The median is the value separating the higher half from the lower half of the distribution.