There has been an increase of more than 720 per cent in the number of victims of “sextortion” seeking help from the Crime Victims Helpline since 2021, according to newly released figures.
The Crime Victims Helpline, which provides information and support to victims of crime, recorded 6,507 overall contacts in 2023, an increase of 10 per cent from 2022, according to its annual report.
Assault and harassment were the two main types of crime that the helpline was contacted about in 2023, with 734 contacts relating to harassment and 646 contacts concerning assault, both of which decreased slightly.
However, there was a 185 per cent increase in contacts relating to the crime of extortion/blackmail, the majority of which related specifically to sextortion.
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Some 197 contacts regarding sextortion incidents were received last year, compared to 69 in 2022 and 24 in 2021.
“It’s something that we didn’t hear about three years ago, it wasn’t even in our stats. And now it’s maybe the third- or fourth-most common reason people are ringing the Crime Victims Helpline,” said Michelle Puckhaber, chief executive of the Crime Victims Helpline.
The increase in sextortion has caused a change in the demographic making contact with the helpline, with a “huge increase” in the number of young men coming forward, she told RTÉ's Morning Ireland.
Ms Puckhaber said those contacting the helpline were experiencing “extreme panic, embarrassment, fear and just complete overwhelm with what could happen”.
The advice from the Crime Victims Helpline and the gardaí was not to respond to any demand for payment as this could lead to further demands, she said.
Meanwhile, contacts relating to the non-consensual sharing of intimate images increased by more than 71 per cent in 2023 when 187 were received.
The number of contacts concerning the crime has increased by more than 540 per cent since it became an offence under Coco’s Law 2021.
Separately, the helpline reported an “alarming” 314 per cent increase in the number of people coming forward about LGBTQ hate crimes over the past four years, though from a low starting point.
There was an 81 per cent increase from 2022 while the number has risen steadily from the seven contacts made in 2020, “indicating a concerning upward trend”.
Some 29 calls in 2023 related to LGBT hate crime while contacts recorded as racist hate crimes fell to 15 from 48 in 2022.
Domestic abuse contacts also fell from 220 in 2022 to 170 last year.
Fraud was the third most common crime, with 201 contacts relating to online fraud and 165 relating to in-person fraud, an increase from the 172 and 100 received in 2022 while both figures have more than doubled since 2021.
The main reason for almost a third (32 per cent) of those contacting the helpline was to seek information regarding the criminal justice system. Some 22 per cent of contacts related to emotional support.
Contacts overall have increased by 58 per cent since 2016.
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