Scotland's latest crime figures reveal worrying trends, with murder, rape, sex attacks, domestic violence and serious assaults all on the rise. The numbers are not just statistics – every one has a victim behind it, with lives destroyed, families grieving and women abused and battered.
Record View poses a clear question to First Minister John Swinney and Justice Secretary Neil Gray: why is Scotland more lawless? Swinney has made a promise to tackle youth violence and attacks on women and girls, yet these figures should set alarm bells ringing.
Reasons behind the rise
There are many reasons why crime happens, with poverty, inequality and lack of opportunity often cited as contributing factors. The threat to women and girls is made worse by an online culture of hatred and disrespect, but there is also an issue about leadership within Police Scotland and the Scottish Government.
Frontline police officers do an amazing job day in, day out keeping us safe, but they are often stretched too thinly, drowned in admin and unable to do the job for which they are paid.
Leadership questioned
The well-paid men and women who lead Police Scotland need to raise their game. They spend a lot of time pursuing petty squabbles between themselves, when they should be spending more time tackling the bad guys who put us all at risk.
Meanwhile, the SNP government's doomed Bill to make it easier for trans people to legally change their gender divided Scotland. The plans took up a disproportionate amount of parliamentary time and left many Scots scratching their heads.
Parties shift on gender
Scottish Labour's position was an example of how mainstream parties lost their way, with Anas Sarwar whipping his MSPs into supporting the Bill and effectively sacking the women who rebelled. Following welcome clarity from the courts on biological sex, Scottish Labour has changed its position to one of staunchly backing single-sex spaces.
Our story on its finance chief Michael Marra's difficulties with his party's past position is symbolic of their struggles. The time has come for the SNP government to accept the new reality on these issues. Trans people deserve dignity and respect, but the law is the law and biological women have sex-based rights. The SNP must accept the dial has shifted and accept its gender recognition proposals were wrong.
