Reported rapes and attempted rapes in Scotland have risen by almost a third in four years, according to newly released statistics. Figures published on Tuesday show an increase from 2,455 for the year ending June 2022 to 3,420 for the year up to June 2026 – a 32% rise. In just one year, reports increased by 8%.
Sexual crimes and domestic abuse on the rise
The figures continue an alarming trend in recent years, with sexual crimes increasing 11% in the past four years and 9% in the last 12 months, with 16,560 recorded in the year to June. The number of domestic abuse incidents reported has increased 81% in the past four years and 19% in the past 12 months, with 3,264 reports in the year to June.
Justice Secretary Neil Gray said “ultimately, men must change their behaviour”. He added: “While Scotland remains a safe place to live and recorded crime has fallen by almost half since its peak in 1991, I am extremely concerned by the rise in sexual crimes and domestic abuse offences recorded under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018.
“These are abhorrent crimes and, unfortunately, reflect a broader pattern seen across the UK. It is encouraging that more victims feel able to come forward and report offences, including historical crimes.
“Protecting victims and ensuring public safety are at the heart of our justice system, and we have taken action to strengthen confidence in that system by introducing legislation and ensuring that police, prosecutors and courts have the powers they need to bring perpetrators to justice. Sexual and domestic abuse crimes are overwhelmingly perpetrated by men against women and, ultimately, men must change their behaviour.
“We must root out and tackle the toxic masculinity and gender inequality that leads to violence, harassment, misogyny and abuse against women. We should stand against these behaviours and call them out.
“The First Minister has pledged to drive forward change and has met with survivors, frontline organisations and public sector partners to help shape further action. Prevention remains the best route to tackle and challenge attitudes that underpin violence against women and girls.
“This is why we’re funding initiatives like Rape Crisis Scotland’s national sexual violence prevention programme and working with partners to implement Equally Safe, Scotland’s strategy to prevent and eradicate violence against women and girls. Over the next two years, we will invest £43.2 million through the delivering Equally Safe fund, alongside more than £1.7 billion for policing.”
Charity warns survivors are being let down
Alev Taylor, chief executive of Rape Crisis Scotland, said the country “continues to let down survivors”, citing “increasing levels of rape and sexual violence, unacceptable wait times in the criminal justice process, and desperately underfunded support”.
She added: “There is a lack of investment in prevention and tackling the root causes of sexual violence, however there is also a failure to address the situation we’re in right now.
“Increasing numbers of survivors are unable to access the support they need when they need it, and this cannot go on any longer.
“As reported sexual offences continue to rise, services which support survivors navigating the criminal justice system are struggling meet the demand.
“Over the past year, 13 out of 19 services across Scotland have been forced to operate waiting lists and at least 1,378 survivors have been forced to wait for the support they need.
“Last week the First Minister pledged his personal leadership to tackle violence against women and girls. It’s time we saw that.”
The statistics were released just a day after an alliance of rape crisis centres urged the First Minister to institute a maximum wait for women seeking specialist support after being the victims of sexual violence.
Political reaction and other crime figures
Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Stephen Kerr said the figures are “utterly disgraceful”, hitting out at Scottish Government plans to reform the point at which prisoners can be released early.
“The SNP have weakened deterrence, piled pressure on to our police and repeatedly put the interests of offenders ahead of victims,” he said.
“This is what nearly two decades of SNP failure on justice looks like: rising crime, weaker sentences and a justice system that criminals can increasingly take advantage of.”
Scottish Labour justice spokeswoman Pauline McNeill said the justice system was “at breaking point”.
“There must be an end to the SNP’s soft-touch approach to justice and a boost to visible community policing,” she said.
“We also need action to tackle the root causes of the epidemic of violence against women – including working with boys and young men to confront violent and misogynistic attitudes.
“The SNP cannot continue to stand idly by – we need urgent action to tackle crime and make our communities safer.”
Elsewhere, the number of non-sexual crimes of violence increased by 7% in the past 12 months and 10% since 2022, with 77,005 recorded up to June.
Crimes of dishonesty also increased by 27% since 2022, driven by a more than doubling of reports of shoplifting. In the past 12 months, 56,920 cases of shoplifting were reported, up from 24,877 in 2022 – a 129% increase.
Ewan MacDonald-Russell, deputy head of the Scottish Retail Consortium, urged the Government to increase funding for the retail crime taskforce to “stem and reverse” the issue.
