Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 3 Oct 1995

Vol. 456 No. 3

Written Answers. - Sex Offence Prosecutions.

James Leonard

Ceist:

44 Mr. Leonard asked the Minister for Justice the current figures in relation to the number of prosecutions by the Director of Public Prosecutions in sex-related offences involving children, a figure which is particularly important in view of the daily reporting by the media of new incidents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13774/95]

Minister for Justice (Mrs. Owen)

I am informed by the Garda authorities that the information sought is not readily available for 1995. However, provisional figures show that the number of cases in which criminal proceedings were commenced in 1994 in relation to sex-related offences involving children is 230.

The above information relates to sex-related crimes against children (under 17 years of age) and has been extracted from a number of specific crime categories (i.e. sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault, rape, defilement of girls, incest, indecent exposure and buggery).