Recorded Crime Victims 2023 and Suspected Offenders 2022

Serious crimes against the person include Homicide & Related offences, Sexual offences and Assault & Related offences. The suspected offenders for these crimes were mostly men in 2022. Of the 73 suspected offenders of Homicide & Related offences in 2022 which had been detected by March 2024, 62 or 85% were male and just 11 or 15% were female. This followed a similar pattern to 2020 and 2021. Within this category of offences, there were 46 suspected offenders of detected Murder or Manslaughter offences and 39 or 85% of these were male. Of the 27 suspected offenders of detected Dangerous Driving Leading to Death offences, 23 or 85% were male compared with 4 or 15% being female.

Virtually all (99%) of suspected offenders of detected Sexual offences recorded in 2022 were male and this was also the case for the previous two years. 

Eight out of ten (81%) of suspected offenders of detected Attempts/threats to murder, assaults, harassments and related offences in 2022 were male compared with two in ten (20%) for females. This also followed a similar pattern to 2021 and 2022. See Figure 3.1.and Table 3.1.

Two thirds of suspected offenders of Assault & Related offences were aged between 18 and 44 years when the offence occurred

There were 8,223 recorded suspected offenders of detected Attempts/Threats to Murder, Assaults, Harassments and Related offences in 2022. Two thirds (67%) of suspected offenders in this offence category were aged 18-44 years at the time of the incident and this was much the same as the previous two years. Suspected offenders aged between 45-59 years accounted for 15% of the total while 14% were aged under 18 years at the time of the incident.

With this offence category, about seven in every ten suspected offenders of each of detected Attempts/Threats to Murder and Assault offences were aged 18-44 years when the incident occurred. The share of suspected offenders aged under 18 years was 8% for detected Attempts/Threats to Murder and 14% for Assaults. 

The profile of suspected offenders for Harassment and Related offences was different however as just over half (52%) were aged 18-44 years at the time of the incident and just over a fifth (22%) were under 18 years. This continued a similar trend from the previous two years. 

Of the 73 suspected offenders of detected Homicide & Related offences in 2022, 55 or 76% were aged between 18 and 44 years when the incident occurred. The share was higher than in 2021 and 2020 when it was 68% and 67% respectively. Just under a fifth (18%) were in the 45-59 age group, 4% were aged 60 years or more and 3% were aged under 18.

There were 406 suspected offenders of detected Sexual offences in 2022. Of this, 239 or 59% were aged between 18 and 44 years when the incident occurred. This was down from the 65% in 2021 and 64% in 2020. Suspected offenders aged 45-59 years accounted for 16% of the total and slightly less (14%) were aged under 18. The share of suspected offenders aged 60 or more years was 11%. See Figure 3.2 and Table 3.2.