Domestic Abuse Offenses in Scotland Rise by 11%, Police Data Reveals

A recent report from Police Scotland indicates an increase in domestic abuse offenses across Scotland over the past year. The figures show that 20,271 reported crimes of domestic abuse occurred between April and September, marking an 11% rise compared to the same period in the previous year. Assistant Chief Constable Steve Johnson stated that psychological crime types, such as stalking and coercive control, accounted for the majority of this increase. He suggested that domestic abuse continues to be underreported but believes that victims are becoming more confident in coming forward. A recent Scottish government report indicated that 81% of incidents reported to the police involved a male perpetrator and a female victim. It also noted that 15% featured a female perpetrator and a male victim, and 3% involved same-sex couples. In cases where age was known, the report specified that approximately 35% of all reported incidents involved a male perpetrator under the age of 35, and nearly one-third occurred over the weekend. Approximately two-thirds of domestic abuse incidents involved a victim and a suspected perpetrator who had previously been recorded in a domestic abuse incident. Dr. Emma Forbes, the national procurator fiscal responsible for prosecuting domestic abuse, commented: “Domestic abuse is not just about physical violence.” She added, “It includes verbal, psychological, sexual, and financial abuse, as well as coercive control and stalking.” Dr. Forbes further explained that “Controlling what clothing or makeup the victim can wear, restricting their movements, monitoring their communications and preventing them from seeing loved ones are just some of the recognised forms of domestic abuse.” Assistant Chief Constable Johnson, who is Police Scotland’s crime and protection lead, described domestic abuse as a “crime that remains hidden behind closed doors.” He expressed an expectation that these figures would continue to rise as more individuals gain the confidence to report incidents. Mr. Johnson stated: “We are fully aware that women can be abusers too, however our figures year-on-year consistently highlight that over 80% of incidents reported to us involve a male perpetrator and so our focus remains on reducing offending by men.” He continued, “Our aim is to encourage young men who are starting out in relationships to reflect on their behaviour and recognise that if they have started to use abusive, controlling or coercive behaviour to realise that it’s wrong and to change.”