EVEN IF poverty, unemployment and social inequality were to be radically reduced in Ireland tomorrow, crime might continue to increase, the conference heard.
Mr Tony Fahey, of the Economic and Social Research Institute, said certain types of crime, "such as the crimes of hopelessness associated with drug addiction", might become easier to combat. But "it is highly unlikely that crime as a whole would decline".
He said it appeared that Scandinavian countries such as Sweden, which were models of social equality, full employment and high living standards, had crime rates which were about the same level or even higher than the Irish rate.
"We often assume that rising crime must he a consequence of social evil - bad must come from bad," he said. "This assumption may be wrong. Rising crime can often be the consequence of social changes which are good in themselves and which we greatly welcome. Thus, for example, the rising incidence of burglary and robbery may in part at least be a simple consequence of rising prosperity and the increasing availability of things worth stealing."
The chairwoman of the Irish Association for Victim Support, Ms Jennifer Guinness, said that "the most profound effect of any crime is felt by the victim, yet traditionally the criminal justice systems seems to be built around the criminal. In many cases, the victim may receive little consider at ion and the whole experience of going to court may prove to be more traumatic than the actual crime itself."
She said victims had been regarded as having only a small role in the process. "When my kidnappers were brought to trial I was wholly unprepared and ignorant of the judicial process.
"The whole court experience was frightening and intimidating The courtrooms tended to be crowded, dirty and very busy. I can remember sitting uncomfortably close to the accused and having to run the gauntlet of the press every time we went in or out of the courtroom."
She said that while giving evidence was traumatic, this was "exacerbated by the feeling of exclusion from the proceedings and the lack of consultation."
Ms Guinness said victims "deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. This can only be achieved by all agencies working together on the victim's behalf".
The president of Muintir na Tire, Mr Jim Quigley, said that the organisation's Community Alert scheme reduced crime and the fear of crime.
He said a survey of Garda divisions where the scheme had been set up showed a reduction of 17 per cent in attacks on the elderly. Burglaries were down 25 per cent and all other crime had fallen by 21 percent.
"Community Alert makes many people feel more safe in their homes given the knowledge that home owners and neighbours nearby are keeping watch", he said.
The conference was chaired by Mr Conor Brady, editor of The Irish Times.