The number of recorded sexual offences rose by more than 8% between the first three months of 2015 and the same period this year.
Some 2,301 were recorded in the 12 months to the end of March, an increase of 175 on the previous year.
The latest crime figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that as well as the rise in sexual offences, there was also a jump of almost 1,100 in attempts or threats to murder, assaults, harassments and related offences, resulting in a rise of almost 7%.
Assault causing harm and poisoning rose by 201 offences, while other assaults increased by 1,071.
Dangerous driving leading to death offences increased by one over the same period.
The annualised total for kidnapping and related offences rose by 13 to 144, while false imprisonment was up by 44.3%.
However decreases were seen in abduction of those under 16 and human trafficking offences.
One more homicide was committed in the 12 months to the end of March than the previous year, with 62 recorded.
There was a drop in burglaries, thefts, weapons offences and damage to property.
Robbery, extortion and hijacking offences fell by 6.7% to 2,430 recorded year-on-year.
The CSO says this was mainly driven by a decrease of 156 offences of robbery from people - the highest volume within the group.
While an annualised total of 15,581 controlled drug offences were recorded, almost no change from the previous 12 months.
The largest change here was in the cultivation or manufacture of drugs, which fell by 84 offences.
And offences against Government, justice procedures and organisation of crime rose by 14.5%.