Sex crimes reported in Scotland at 50-year high

Sex offences recorded in Scotland have risen to a 50-year high despite a drop in overall crime figures.

The statistics showed a drop in reported crime in 2021-22, to its lowest level since the early 1970s.

The number of sexual crimes, however, rose by 15% to 15,049 and non-sexual violent crime was also up.

Opposition politicians criticised the figures, but the government insisted Scotland remained a “safe place to live”.

The report noted the rise in reported sexual crimes, now at its highest level since 1971, was a “long-term, upward trend”, with cyber crime and the reporting of historical offences possibly a factor.

According to the data, cases of rape and attempted rape rose by 9% to 2,498 last year – accounting for almost one in five (17%) of all reported sexual crimes.

The number of sexual crimes that were cyber crimes is estimated to have risen from 1,100 in 2013-14 to 4,210 in 2021-22.

The reported noted: “The increase in sexual cyber-crimes has also had an impact on the trend of recorded sexual crimes in recent years.”

It added that the “historical reporting of sexual crime also continues to play a role in the latest statistics”, with the report detailing how information from the police suggested that almost a quarter (23%) of sexual crimes in 2021-22 being reported at least one year after they occurred.

Non-sexual crimes of violence also increased, from 61,913 in 2020-21 to 69,826 the following year. Almost a quarter of all crimes recorded in Scotland were violent crimes while 5% were sexual crimes.

The vast majority of violent crimes were common assault, the report said.

It noted that crimes of murder and culpable homicide “accounted for a very small proportion” of non-sexual crimes of violence, contributing less than 1%.

However, crimes of serious assault and attempted murder rose by 9% to 3,819.

Overall, the report told how crimes recorded by the police in Scotland fell by 4% in 2021-22, going from 299,452 to 286,464 to reach the lowest level since 1974.

This fall was driven by a big reduction in crimes recorded under coronavirus-related legislation – with such crimes dropping from 20,976 to 3,913.

Crimes of dishonesty accounted for almost a third (32%) of all recorded crime in 2021-22. This was the second lowest level ever recorded.

Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Jamie Greene said: “These grim statistics confirm that violent and sexual crime is spiralling out of control under the SNP – with violent crime now reaching its highest ever level since Nicola Sturgeon became first minister.”

Pauline McNeill, Scottish Labour’s justice spokeswoman, said making communities safe should be a top priority for the Scottish government.

“It is appalling that the SNP are poised to slash police funding as sexual crimes soar to the highest point in decades,” she said.

Liam McArthur, of the Lib Dems, said: “People need to know that if they are attacked or burgled, they can go to the police and their case will be investigated. Right now, many may simply not see the point.

A Scottish government spokesperson said: “Scotland continues to be a safe place to live. Recorded crime is at its lowest level since 1974, and considerably lower than a decade ago, with fewer victims.”

The spokesperson said “robust action” had been taken to help the authorities tackle sexual offending “by improving and making the operation of our sexual offence laws much clearer, providing the necessary funding to support law enforcement efforts to deal with sexual offending and by encouraging more victims of recent and historical cases to come forward”.