FEMALE TOURISTS AGED between 17-25 are the most common tourist victims of crime in Ireland, according to a group which offers victim support.

The Irish Tourist Assistance Service (ITAS) said today that it experienced a 24% increase in demand for its services last year.

The ITAS annual report recorded that they helped nearly 900 people who had fallen victim to crime and other traumatic events during their visit to Ireland in 2017.

The most common crime perpetrated against tourists was theft, which made up 39% of referrals to the ITAS.

After that, theft from cars is becoming more common and made up 11% of referrals last year.

The ITAS says that a small number of tourists (15) were referred after violent crime such as aggravated theft, assault, sexual assault and robbery.

Referrals to the service are most commonly made by gardaí and the ITAS annual report details that most of these come from Pearse Street Garda Station due to the number of crimes against tourists being committed in Dublin city centre.

The report states that 40% of the crimes it dealt with occurred on the streets of Dublin. The majority of these took place between the hours of 2-6pm, with victims tending to be female aged between 17-25 years.

In total, the ITAS said it assisted tourists from 48 countries last year and that it was thankful that the vast majority were able to continue with their holiday after they received support.

“The aim of the service is to provide visitors who are victims of crime with immediate support and information in order to make a positive difference to their experience,”chairman Kevin McPartlan said.

“In 2017, 88% of tourists assisted by ITAS continued with their holiday plans. I would like to thank the organisations and agencies who support ITAS. This support enhances Ireland’s international reputation as a caring and hospitable nation.”