Vol. 471 No. 8
7 Miss de Valera asked the Minister for Justice the number of murders which have taken place from 1 January to 9 May 1996 in respect of each of the past three full years; the number of murders of women in respect of each of the past three full years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21810/96]
I am informed by the Garda authorities that the available information is as follows. The statistics relating to murder are in respect of persons aged one year or more.
From 1 January to 9 May 1995, 12 males and one female were murdered. From 1 January to 9 May 1996, 12 males and nine females were murdered. Information for the period 1 January to 9 May 1994 if not readily available.
With regard to the number of persons murdered in full calendars years, in 1993 ten males and seven females were murdered. In 1994 17 males and eight females were murdered and in 1995 33 males and eight females were murdered.
The figure for 1993 is somewhat lower than that contained in the annual Garda crime reports. The reason is that some cases classed originally as "murder" are subsequently classified under a different heading, e.g. manslaughter, on the basis of more complete information or as a result of court decisions in the meantime. Similarly, it can be reasonably expected, in the light of previous experience, that a number of the 1994 and 1995 cases classed as murder will be subsequently reclassified under a different heading as those cases come to be examined by the law officers and dealt with by the courts.
Is the Minister disturbed by the trend in recent years whereby an increasing number of females are being murdered? Has she plans to combat murder generally? Has she plans to reinstate the murder squad or a specialised squad, regardless of the name, to deal with the large number of murders? Does she accept the need for a specialist unit to deal with organised crime and murders committed by organised criminals, given that there has been no convictions in the 13 gangland murders in the past two years?
I share the Deputy's concern about the increase in the number of women being murdered. I can only speculate on whether the increase is indicative of a long-term change in society. There is not an overall pattern to the murder of women. Some are murdered by family members and others are caught unawares by other murderers.
The increase in violence against women is disturbing. In 1995 there was a 43 per cent increase in the number of sexual offences reported to the Garda. It is not clear whether that figure represents a 43 per cent increase in the number of cases or whether it includes past cases which are now being reported because women are more able to cope.
I have dealt with the question of a murder squad on a number of occasions. The murder squad was abolished, but many other specialist units have been set up. A former Garda Commissioner felt it was necessary to introduce more appropriate structures to deal with a wider range of crimes and the current commissioner holds a similar view. People deployed in the special crime unit and the domestic violence and sexual assault investigation unit are trained in a multi-disciplinary manner to deal with murder investigations. The murder squad was confined to dealing with murders. The sexual assault unit is staffed by gardaí trained to deal with domestic violence which, by and large, affects women.
Does the Minister accept the figures she has quoted are indicative of a society which is becoming more violent each year and that the time has come for an in-depth study into serious crime by an expert group? Does she agree such an in-depth study should publish in a White Paper methods to address the underlying causes of the violence we have experienced in recent years?
The increase in the number of murders indicates that people are resorting to violence to get what they want from others, or as an act of reprisal. There is no doubt that we are witnessing an increase in violence on our television and in our day-to-day lives such as in the way people drive their vehicles. Road rage was never talked about and now people are convicted because of it. That is an indication of increased violence and the way some people will seek redress for a wrong.
A wide remit would have to be given to a body set up to examine the increase in violence. I can confirm to the Deputy that I am putting the finishing touches to a crime council and hope to establish it soon. It is an opportunity to bring together the multi-disciplined forces in society so that they can look in a non-threatening way at all aspects of crime and then make policy recommendations. Crime councils exist in other countries and we are looking at the experience of Denmark in particular. However, when a move is made on one front, another element of society will say it cannot be done because it will affect them. For example, when a move is made to establish a drug treatment centre in a district to tackle crimes carried out by people on drugs, another group in the society feels vulnerable. Unless this issue is examined in detail we will not get at the underlying causes. I hope the crime council will be part of that study, but it will not be the complete picture as the views of sociologists and others may be required.
Does the Minister agree that it is not solely a question of murders in respect of women? Disappearances, which may give rise to the inference that a murder has happened, also disturb the public and many people are worried that so many disappearances of women are not resolved. There was a 45 per cent increase in sexual assaults on women in 1995. There are disappearances, an increasing murder rate and also the point has been reached where women are seen as easy targets for casual muggings and assaults virtually every day on our streets. In almost every neighbourhood women are picked out for brutal robberies. Does the Minister agree that a great deal has to happen with regard to sentencing and that the Judiciary has to get the message across to people that the more defenceless the victim, the longer the sentence?
We have strayed well into the area of policy on this issue. This is essentially a statistical question.
I cannot make the presumption that women who have disappeared have been murdered, although many people do. I do not have the statistics on the number of missing women. The number is not high although there are two high profile cases at present, Jo Dollard and Annie McCarrick. I cannot say what has happened to them. I agree with the Deputy that there is a need for the Judiciary to understand the changes in society in regard to increased violence against women. That is something about which judges are aware. At a seminar last year, which I funded, groups such as Women's Aid were invited to talk to the Judiciary about these issues. It was a valuable exercise and I hope it will be repeated.
I share the concern expressed by a number of Deputies about the increasing violence against women which is manifest in murders, attacks and disappearances. It is a worrying trend and needs action at many levels. Is the Minister accepting the recommendation in a report on this issue which she received recently? What action will she be taking on violence against women? An interdepartmental committee is meeting on this issue, another important initiative. When will we hear from it? The bail referendum is also relevant because many of the people who attack women are repeat offenders. It is important to introduce a third option in court to detain the more dangerous offenders.
I do not have the report which was launched recently, but I pay tribute to those who prepared it and I was pleased to fund it. It followed the sentencing in the "X" case. A group from the then Council for the Status of Women approached me for funding to carry out this study and I agreed. It was a frightening summary of the issues that women are confronting daily and the statistics on domestic violence and violence in general against women are terrifying. I agree with Deputy Fitzgerald that we need to take the issues raised in that report seriously. Recommendations in it involve a number of Departments. The Government showed its concern by setting up a group under the Chairmanship of Minister of State, Deputy Eithne Fitzgerald, to ensure the issue was looked at in a wider context. I understand that group is due to report in a matter of a month or two. I hope at that stage action will be taken. In the meantime, I am looking at some of the other recommendations such as separate counsel for rape victims and I have asked for advice on that issue.
