KIDNAPPINGS AND RELATED OFFENCES increased by 97 per cent between 2005 and 2009, according to new figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

That percentage represents a rise in recorded incidents from 74 to 146.

Controlled drug offences and weapons and explosives offences also increased dramatically over this period, up by 65 and 50 per cent respectively.

Significant increases were also seen in the areas of road and traffic offences and offences classified as being “against government, justice procedures and organisation of crime”.

The number of recorded sexual offences dropped 18 per cent and homicide offences were down 30 per cent over the five years.

The CSO also released its latest quarterly and annual figures for crime yesterday, which showed an increase in burglary, theft and fraud over the first few months of 2011 in comparison with 2010. The number of murder and manslaughter offences were down in Q1 2011.

There was a 40 per cent decrease in the number of reported sexual offences in Q1 2011, however the CSO warned that the rise recorded for such offences in 2010 may have been due to an ongoing review of cases involving reports of sexual offences.

Read: CSO’s crime stats report for Q1 2011 shows increase in burglary, theft and fraud >

Read the CSO’s five-year report on crime in full >

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