Dublin criminals prey on sightseeing female tourists

DUBLIN, Ireland – Criminals preying on tourists are most likely to target young women sightseeing in Dublin during the afternoon, a new report reveals.

DUBLIN, Ireland – Criminals preying on tourists are most likely to target young women sightseeing in Dublin during the afternoon, a new report reveals.

A government-backed service which helps holidaymakers who suffer crime during their stay in Ireland saw a 10% surge in victims last year.

The Irish Tourist Assistance Service (ITAS) said 2012 was its third-busiest year since being set up nearly two decades ago.

Almost 740 tourists – at the brunt of 433 separate crimes and traumatic incidents – sought help from the support organisation, which was established in 1994.

Among them were 12 cases of violent crimes including aggravated thefts, assaults and robberies. But in its annual report, the ITAS said that half of all reported crime against tourists was theft, either from the traveller or from their car.

Victims tended to be women aged between 17 and 25 years, while the majority of crimes were carried out during the hours of 2pm to 6pm in Dublin city centre, according to ITAS.

Incidents were mostly likely to happen when tourists were sightseeing, shopping or generally relaxing in restaurants and cafes with German, Italians and French among the most targeted nationalities, the report said.

However, Dick Bourke, chairman of ITAS, said Ireland was ahead of other European countries when it came to helping tourists get their holiday back on track after falling victim to criminals. “Ireland is leading the way in terms of the support it provides to tourist victims of crime,” he said.

“We are the only country in Europe that has a dedicated service to assist tourists in these situations. With prompt intervention and support, 89% of victimised tourists continued with their holiday plans in 2012, which is a good indication of the level of assistance that is provided by ITAS.”

Dublin accounts for more than eight in 10 cases (84%), with Garda stations in counties Wicklow, Galway, Kerry and Louth the next most likely to refer holidaymakers to the ITAS.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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