Question
Assessment of the apparent rise in violent deaths and assaults against the person over the past year.
Answer
Homicide and Violence with Injury Figures
- To provide a meaningful comparison, October 2020 to September 2021 figures have been examined:
- Overall, Homicide has decreased by 50% (28 – 14) since the same period last year (October – September) Murder offences have decreased by 59% (27 – 11) during this period
- There have been two Manslaughter offences, an increase from the previous year (0)
- Corporate Manslaughter and Infanticide levels are unchanged
- Violence with Injury overall has shown a very small increase of 0.12% (from 12,557 – 12,572)
- Attempted Murder offences have decreased by 32% (from 89 – 60)
- Assault with Injury offences have decreased by 1% (from 10541 – 10430)
- Grievous Bodily Harm and Wounding offences have decreased by 2.8% (from 430 – 418)
- Assault Occasioning Actual Bodily Harm (AOABH) offences have decreased by 1% (from 10096 – 9999)
- Poisoning offences have decreased from 15 to 13
There are a number of offences that have displayed an increase from the same period last year
- One notable area of concern is the increase in the number of assaults causing injury to members of the Police Service, increased by 13% or 98 incidents (from 757 – 855)
- Causing or Allowing the death of a Child or Vulnerable Person offences increased from 2 to 5
- Levels of Assault with Intent to Cause Serious Harm increased by 4% (from 1,135 – 1,183)
- Endangering Life offences increased by 22.5% (from 31 – 38)
Homicide
- The Police Service has recorded 11 homicides during Financial Year To Date 2021/22, which is four less homicides than for the same period in 2020/21
- 4 of the 11 homicides this Financial Year have been during the month of October. The level of four in a month is not unusual in itself. In April 2020, five homicides were recorded and in December 2019, four homicides were recorded
- In the Financial Year to Date, 36% of homicide victims were female, compared with 41% in the 2020/21 Financial Year Analysis of trend variations over the last five years show that homicides happen at varying times of the year. For example, there were no homicides recorded in October, November or December 2020
- Homicide levels and trends are analysed monthly by Serious Crime Branch, as lead for homicide investigations. This analysis has not identified any trend or common feature in recent murders.
The below tables provide further information on homicide and violence with injury figures according to gender breakdown, in the period October 2019 – September 2020 and October 2020 – September 2021.
