Domestic abuse charges reported to Scottish prosecutors rose by 14 per cent in 2025-26 to 34,586, the highest figure in more than a decade. Lord Advocate Ruth Charteris has called the increase “concerning for all of us” and made the protection of women and girls her top priority. Court action followed in 91 per cent of cases.
Online environment under scrutiny
Behind the statistics, a toxic online environment is seen as normalising contempt for women. Certain corners of social media repeatedly recycle the message that women are fair game for abuse. Some figures, such as Andrew Tate, argue that male entitlement is natural and that emotional or physical dominance is somehow justified.
Young men absorb this content daily, and it hardens into relationships where coercive control, threats and assaults become an ever-present threat. The Lord Advocate has said Scotland already has strong laws capable of tackling the problem, and prosecution must remain robust.
Impact on women
Every one of the 34,586 charges represents real suffering by individual women. Failing to confront the online hatred that is helping to drive the increase is indefensible.
The article also highlights the poverty-related attainment gap in Scottish education. The SNP government has failed to remove it, meaning too many youngsters continue to have their opportunities curtailed simply because they come from poor families.
Pisa report concerns
Yesterday’s international education survey, the Pisa report, shows Scottish schools falling behind on many measures. Schools in England have bucked the international trend by improving outcomes across reading, maths and science, while Scotland now lags far behind. The SNP government insists the school system remains competitive, but the article questions whether Scotland’s independent education system is worth keeping if it continues to fail children.
