News

Rape Crisis Scotland calls for action as new figures show further fall in convictions for rape

Figures released by the Scottish Government in May 2021 revealed that almost a quarter of trials for rape or attempted rape result in a Not Proven verdict.

Only 43% of rape and attempted rape trials result in a conviction, compared to an 88% overall conviction rate. In 2019-20 there were 2,343 rapes and attempted rapes reported to the police, but only 300 prosecutions and just 130 convictions.

Rape Crisis Scotland releases report on privacy rights for complainers of sexual offences in Scotland

Reporting sexual crime and going through the resulting criminal justice processes can be a daunting process.

Of particular concern to survivors of sexual crime is the prospect of their sexual history or personal aspects of their lives being brought up in court. There have been some key decisions by the courts in recent years which have highlighted the rights of complainers to privacy and raised important questions about how we assist complainers to assert these rights.

This report brings together key considerations and recommendations from a roundtable held in November 2020 which brought together agencies and academics to consider the question of whether complainers should have greater rights to legal representation when their privacy rights are at stake. The report recommends that consideration be given to introducing independent legal representation for complainers where applications are made to introduce their sexual history or character.

Holyrood 2021 Asks

Today we are launching our Holyrood 2021 Asks: a range of important measures to bring real and lasting improvements for survivors of sexual violence in Scotland.

We urge all politicians to commit to taking these forward so that the kind of change that is so badly needed can become a reality.

Specialist court recommended for sexual offences

A cross-justice Review Group, chaired by the Lord Justice Clerk, Lady Dorrian, has recommended that a new, national specialist Court with trauma-informed procedures be created to deal with serious sexual offence cases in Scotland.

Sandy Brindley, Chief Executive said: "The conviction rate for rape and attempted rape in Scotland is lower than for any other crime type. This has remained stubbornly the case, despite all previous efforts to address it.

All too often survivors tell us that the process of seeking justice – and in particular their experience in court – is as least as traumatic as the attack(s) itself. It is clear that significant action is needed.

Lady Dorrian’s report is important and necessary. Her recommendations are bold, evidence based, and have the potential to transform Scotland’s response to sexual crime. This is a unique opportunity for Scotland to lead the way internationally in improving access to justice for people who have experienced sexual crime.