Sexual crimes in Scotland for the year ending September 2023 were 1% lower compared to the year ending September 2022 (decreasing from 14,838 to 14,704 crimes), but 8% higher compared to the year ending September 2019 (increasing from 13,566 to 14,704 crimes).

This reflects that more people are reporting domestic abuse with the wider definition since the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act came into force in 2019.

These are some of the figures released for Recorded Crime in Scotland, year ending September 2023. The COVID-19 pandemic, and associated measures to limit social contact, has had an impact on both the type and volume of crime recorded since March 2020. The largest impact was seen during year ending September 2021, and to a lesser extent the years ending September 2020 and 2022. The final legal restrictions were lifted in April 2022, meaning the most recent year (year ending September 2023) was not impacted by these restrictions.

The number of Sexual crimes in the year ending September 2023:

• were 1% (or 134 crimes) lower compared to the previous year (decreasing from 14,838 to 14,704 crimes), and
• were 8% (or 1,138 crimes) higher compared to the year ending September 2019 (increasing from 13,566 to 14,704 crimes).

Within this:

• Rape and attempted rape decreased by 1% compared to the previous year (from 2,515 to 2,501 crimes), but increased by 2% from the year ending September 2019 (from 2,446 to 2,501 crimes).
• Sexual assault decreased by 6% compared to the previous year (from 5,467 to 5,159 crimes), but increased by <1% from the year ending September 2019 (from 5,149 to 5,159 crimes).
• Causing to view sexual activity or images increased by 6% compared to the previous year (from 2,068 to 2,183 crimes), and increased by 13% from the year ending September 2019 (from 1,935 to 2,183 crimes).
• Communicating indecently increased by 2% compared to the previous year (from 1,540 to 1,569 crimes), and increased by 15% from the year ending September 2019 (from 1,363 to 1,569 crimes).
• Threatening to or disclosing intimate images decreased by 4% compared to the previous year (from 849 to 819 crimes), but increased by 26% from the year ending September 2019 (from 649 to 819 crimes).
• Indecent photos of children increased by 3% compared to the previous year (from 758 to 777 crimes), and increased by 44% from the year ending September 2019 (from 541 to 777 crimes).
• Crimes associated with prostitution decreased by 1% compared to the previous year (from 73 to 72 crimes), and decreased by 55% from the year ending September 2019 (from 161 to 72 crimes).
• Other sexual crimes increased by 4% compared to the previous year (from 1,568 to 1,624 crimes), and increased by 23% from the year ending September 2019 (from 1,322 to 1,624 crimes).

The Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act  was passed by the Scottish Parliament on 1 February 2018 and was brought into force in April 2019 . It recognised abuse as a pattern of behaviour, criminalising psychological domestic abuse and coercive and controlling behaviour.

Click on this link for support Domestic Abuse: Safer Scotland