Question mark over sex crimes

At highest level since records began

A Dundee-based rape charity has raised concern over figures showing sex crimes in Scotland are at their highest level since modern record keeping began 40 years ago.

In 1971 recorded sexual crimes in Scotland totalled just over 4,000 compared to 10,000 in 2016, according to the latest policing report.

The report also revealed overall crime has fallen by as much as 50% in some parts of Tayside and Fife over the past 10 years.

A spokeswoman from Rape Crisis Scotland explained that historically, sexual crimes were under reported meaning that increased confidence in the police could explain the spike.

Sandy Brindley, said: “Changes introduced by Police Scotland in recent years have transformed how sexual crime is investigated in Scotland.

“It is likely that at least some of the increase in recorded sexual crime is due to people having more confidence to report what has happened to them.

“However, it is also possible that there has been a significant increase in the actual levels of sexual crime taking place. Particularly worrying is the high level of sexual offences being experienced by children and young people in Scotland – in 43% of sexual crimes, the victim was under 18.”

“Rape Crisis Scotland runs a prevention project which works with young people across the country on issues around consent and healthy relationships.

“In the past three years we have worked with over 18,000 young people, and in 102 schools across the country.”

Deputy Chief Constable Iain Livingstone said increased reporting of sexual crime reflects a growth in public confidence.

In Dundee, overall reported crime has fallen by 43% since 2006, followed by 39% in Angus and 34% in Perth and Kinross.

In Fife, the figure was 56%, the biggest decrease in all of Courier Country.

Shona Robison, MSP for Dundee City East, welcomed the news. She said: “Having safe communities where everyone feels welcome are vital to creating the Scotland that we all want to see – and these figures show that, under the SNP, we have made significant progress in achieving this goal.”