Sexual offences top 15,000

SEXUAL crime rates in Fife are the highest in Scotland as the number reported increased by more than a quarter in a year.

A total of 1,527 were recorded in the Kingdom between April last year and this March, compared to 1,195 the year before – a rise of nearly 28%.

Across Scotland, offences increased by nearly 14% over the same period to 15,049, according to Police Scotland figures.

It means about 10% of all reported sexual crimes in Scotland happened in Fife.

The number of rapes in the region increased year-on-year from 190 to 262 and the number of indecent and sexual assaults rose from 385 to 565.

Other sexual crimes such as indecent communication and the disclosure or threat of disclosing intimate images also saw an increase.

The latest police figures show for every 10,000 people in Fife, 40.9 sexual crimes are recorded.

Dundee has the second highest rate in the country with 38.9 per 10,000, though the number dropped year-on-year from 644 to 581.

Across all of Scotland’s local authority areas, only Glasgow recorded more sexual crimes than Fife, with 2,048.

Sexual offending rates in Fife are the highest but detection rates – the proportion of crimes being solved – are among the highest in the country.

Detectives leading the Kingdom’s rape and historic abuse investigation units said in February a factor in the high reporting rate is their proactive work in profiling known sex offenders and contacting other potential victims.

They also said strong publicity around a string of major convictions has led to many survivors – either abused by the same person or someone else – feeling more confident they will be believed and coming forward in numbers.

Building strong relationships with other agencies, such as Women’s Aid and the Kirkcaldy-based Fife Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (FRASAC), has also been critical in helping survivors through the difficult process of reporting and reliving their horrific experiences.

Chief Superintendent Derek McEwan, Fife’s divisional commander, said a “growing culture” of female detectives working in their public protection departments is also helping catch those responsible.

He added Fife division will continue to be “relentless” in its pursuit of anyone involved in sexual offending. Ch Supt McEwan said: “We have seen an increase in sexual crimes.

“However, this can be attributed to the increased confidence of victims to report offences to our officers and to those we work in partnership with.”

Sandy Brindley, of Rape

Crisis Scotland, said: “We would always caution against reading too much into statistics like these because what we know about rape and sexual assault is that it remains largely underreported.

“What that means is that these statistics don’t tell the whole story, and also that more reports don’t necessarily mean that more crimes are happening.

“Sometimes it can mean that there are better systems and support in place for people coming forward, and that is positive.”