The Crime Victims Helpline has seen a staggering rise of over 720% in individuals seeking assistance for “sextortion” since 2021, per recently unveiled statistics. In 2023, the Helpline noted a total of 6,507 interactions, marking a 10% climb from the previous year, as indicated in their annual report. While harassment and assault remained the primary crimes reported in 2023, with 734 and 646 correspondences respectively, both numbers saw a slight dip.
However, there was a significant surge of 185% in calls pertaining to extortion/blackmail, largely associated with sextortion. Sextortion-related communications rose from 69 in 2022 and 24 in 2021 to a substantial total of 197 the following year.
Michelle Puckhaber, CEO of the Crime Victims Helpline, highlighted the shift in their caller demographics due to the spike in sextortion, with a notable increase in younger men reaching out. As reported on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, callers often expressed extreme distress, embarrassment, fear and were overwhelmed by the potential consequences.
The Crime Victims Helpline, along with the police, urged not to answer any payment requests, as this could provoke repeated demands. Meanwhile, the sharing of intimate images without consent, a crime under Coco’s Law 2021, saw a rise of over 71% in 2023, with 187 recorded instances. The crime’s reported instances have risen by over 540% since it was legally recognised.
The helpline registered a worrying 314 per cent upsurge in individuals reporting LGBTQ hate crimes over the previous four years, albeit from a relatively low initial level. The year 2022 saw an 81 per cent rise, hinting at a concerning growth trend since only seven calls were made in 2020.
In 2023, the helpline received 29 reports of LGBT hate crimes, whereas those categorised as racist hate crimes decreased to 15, a drop from 48 in the previous year. Additionally, there was a decline in reports of domestic violence from 220 in 2022 to just 170 a year later.
The third most reported criminal activity was fraud, with 201 calls linked to internet scams and 165 to face to face scams. These stats are a rise from 172 and 100 respectively in 2022, showing a more than two-fold increase since 2021.
The primary reason nearly one third (32 per cent) of people reached out to the helpline was to get information on the criminal justice system, whilst 22 per cent sought emotional support. Total contacts have shown a 58 per cent increase since 2016, revealing an overall surge in hotline use.