Domestic abuse and stalking charges are at their highest in four years, prosecutors have revealed.
A total of 30,718 charges have been recorded across Scotland in the last year – a 5.7 per cent rise on the previous year and the highest number since 2015-16.
Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said the spike is a sign that more victims are coming forward after the introduction of tougher legislation on coercive or controlling behaviour – but campaigners said there are “still lessons to be learned”.
The report, released yesterday by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, includes crimes committed under the new Domestic Abuse Scotland Act, which created a statutory offence last April for engaging in a course of behaviour which is abusive towards a partner or ex-partner.
The figures showed 1065 charges were brought under this legislation.
Out of all charges brought, 96 per cent were prosecuted – up from 85 per cent six years ago.
Breach of the peace related crimes, including stalking, threatening and abusive behaviour, made up 35 per cent of the charges, and common assault 28 per cent.
Yousaf, who will introduce a Bill to the Scottish Parliament in the coming weeks which would give authorities powers to remove suspected domestic abusers from victims’ homes, said tackling abuse was a priority.
He added: “I welcome this indication that Scotland’s
new domestic abuse laws are encouraging victims to come forward and report these crimes, while providing police and prosecutors with greater powers to target those who engage in coercive or controlling behaviour.”
Solicitor General Alison Di Rollo QC said the figures
were evidence that the new legislation “broke ground in addressing the true dynamics of abusive behaviour to which too many victims are subjected”.
The figures, which run to June, do not take into account charges brought during much of the lockdown period, when many victim support organisations have reported a spike in abuse.
Scottish Women’s Aid chief executive Dr Marsha Scott said: “Over 1000 prosecutions in the first year of implementation is impressive.”
But she added: “There are undoubtedly still lessons to be learned in how the justice system responds to survivors of domestic abuse.
“We are particularly wary that the current backlog in courts due to the Covid-19 pandemic is threatening to undo many years of progress on access to justice for those who have experienced domestic abuse.”
Anne Marie Hicks, national procurator fiscal for domestic abuse, said: “We’ll continue to work closely with justice partners and victim support organisations on a system-wide response to the challenges of the pandemic to ensure cases progress as efficiently as possible.”
