Statistics and Key Information

Global estimates published by the World Health Organisation in 2021 indicate that about 1 in 3 (30%) of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime.

Most of this violence is perpetrated by intimate partners. Worldwide, almost one third (27%) of women aged 15-49 years who have been in a relationship report that they have been subjected to some form of physical and/or sexual violence by their intimate partner.

42% of women who experience intimate partner violence report an injury as a consequence of this violence [Source: WHO Factsheet on violence against women (2021).

Under the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009 [implemented December 2010] rape is defined as:
"penetration of the vagina, anus or mouth by the penis without consent.”

However, there are many forms of sexual assault and abuse which do not fit with the legal definition of rape. These can be just as distressing and have just as much of an impact.
You can read an Outline of the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009 here.

[Source: Scottish Government Recorded crime in Scotland, 2022-2023]

Sexual crimes

Sexual crimes were very slightly lower (<1%) compared to the year ending June 2022, but 8% higher compared to the year ending June 2019.

There were 14,834 sexual crimes recorded in Scotland in the year ending June 2023.

Sexual crimes account for 5% of all recorded crimes in Scotland.

Rape & attempted rape

Rape & attempted rape accounted for 17% of recorded Sexual crimes in 2022-23. The rate of reported rape and attempted rate increased by 5% compared to 2012-22 to 2,567.

36.81% of the abuse experienced by survivors in touch with Rape Crisis Centres in Scotland in 2021-22 was rape; 14.13% was child sexual abuse, and 25.73% was sexual assault [Source: Rape Crisis Scotland Annual Report 2021-2022]

Sexual abuse occurs more often in the survivor’s home than in any other location (37.58%) [Source: Rape Crisis Scotland Annual Report 2021-2022]

Where this was known, only just over half of survivors (52.05%) seeking support from Rape Crisis Centres in 2021-22 in Scotland had reported to the police. [Source: Rape Crisis Scotland Annual Report 2021-2022]

Sexual assault

Reported sexual assault decreased by 5% compared to the previous year (from 5,495 to 5,237 crimes), but increased by 1% from the year ending June 2019 (from 5,161 to 5,237 crimes).

Sexual assault accounted for 35% of Sexual crimes in Scotland in 2022-23. After an upwards trend from 2012-13 to 2018-19, there have been decreases in both 2019-20 and 2020-21. However, there was a 29% increase from 4,154 crimes in 2020-21 to 5,359 in 2021-22.

Other sexual crimes

The Other sexual crimes category includes a wide range of crime types. These increased by <1% compared to the previous year (from 1,600 to 1,604 crimes), and increased by 21% from the year ending June 2019 (from 1,324 to 1,604 crimes).

This category has increased significantly over time, with crimes increasing from 618 in 2012-13 to 1,707 in 2021-22 (up 176%).

Causing to view sexual activity or images decreased by 1% compared to the previous year (from 2,166 to 2,150 crimes), but increased by 8% from the year ending June 2019 (from 1,987 to 2,150 crimes).

Communicating indecently increased by 4% compared to the previous year (from 1,533 to 1,595 crimes), and increased by 19% from the year ending June 2019 (from 1,345 to 1,595 crimes).

Threatening to or disclosing intimate images decreased by 6% compared to the previous year (from 870 to 819 crimes), but increased by 27% from the year ending June 2019 (from 643 to 819 crimes).

Indecent photos of children increased by 16% compared to the previous year (from 683 to 795 crimes), and increased by 50% from the year ending June 2019 (from 530 to 795 crimes).

Crimes associated with prostitution decreased by 14% compared to the previous year (from 78 to 67 crimes), and decreased by 69% from the year ending June 2019 (from 213 to 67 crimes).

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 51% of rape and attempted rape trials result in a conviction, compared to a 91% overall conviction rate. In 2020-21 there were 2,176 rapes and attempted rapes reported to the police, but only 152 prosecutions and just 78 convictions.

 

Rape & attempted rape	2016/17	2017/18	2018/19	2019/20	2020/21
Reported	1878	2255	2426	2343	2298
Prosecuted	251	246	313 (324)*	299 (300)*	152**
Convicted	99	106	142 (152)*	130	78**
% of cases prosecuted resulting in conviction	39.4%	43%	45.37% (47%)*	43.48% (43.33%)*	51%
% of cases prosecuted resulting in Not proven	42=17%	48=19%	68=21%	74=24.66%	Data not available

 

*Please note: the figures in brackets below for 2018/19 were those published in the Criminal Proceedings in Scotland, 2018-19. These have since been adjusted by the Scottish Government for 2018/19 in the 2019/20 report to reduce the number of prosecutions by 11 and of convictions by 10, meaning the conviction figure for 2018/19 given here is lower than that previously in the public domain.

Similarly, the figures in brackets below for 2020/21 were those published in the Criminal Proceedings in Scotland, 2019-20. These were adjusted in the 2020/21 report to reduce the number of prosecutions by 1, meaning that the percentage of convictions in 2019/20 is very slightly higher than was previously in the public domain.

** The remaining 1 case (1%) was neither convicted nor acquitted; this case was recorded as a 'deserted simpliciter' result which is where a trial is permanently abandoned by the Procurator Fiscal.

Sources:

Recorded Crime in Scotland (RC): RC2016-17, RC2017-18, RC2018-19, RC2019-20, RC2020-21, RC 2021-22, RC 2022-23

Criminal proceedings in Scotland (CP): CP2016/17, CP2017/18, CP2018/19, CP2019/20, CP2020-21

Note – the figures for recorded crime and prosecutions are not directly comparable as one measures incident and the other accused.

Research suggests the rate of false allegations is no higher for rape than for other crimes.

The specific age of the victim cannot generally be determined from the data supplied by Police Scotland. However, many of the sexual crime codes used by the police to record crime are based on specific age groupings in line with the legislation (for example, Sexual assault of older male child (13-15 years)). This will include where the perpetrator targets someone they believed to be a child (for example, through cyber-enabled sexual crime).

By adding up all these crime codes, we know that at least 37% of the 15,049 Sexual crimes recorded in 2021-22 by the police related to a victim under the age of 18. This proportion is similar to recent years. [Source: Recorded crime in Scotland, 2020-21]

Scottish Crime and Justice Survey (SCJS) 2019-20

Information on sexual crime is collected through a number of additional self-completion sections appended to the main SCJS survey. The self-completion element of the survey includes questions on sexual victimisation, stalking and harassment, and partner abuse.

The findings are included in the 2019-20 Main Findings report which revealed that:

• 3.6% of adults in Scotland have experienced at least one type of serious sexual assault since the age of 16.
• A higher proportion of women than men reported experiencing at least one type of serious sexual assault (6.1% compared to 0.8%, respectively).
• The first (or only) incident occurred between the age of 16 and 20 for more than half (55%) of those with experience of serious sexual assault.
• Of those respondents who had experienced forced sexual intercourse since the age of 16, 62% said they had experienced more than one incident. Just under half of those who had experienced more than one incident said they had experienced too many incidents to count (28% of all respondents who had experienced forced sexual intercourse since the age of 16).

In 2021-22 there were 843 incidents of stalking and 400 of these crimes were cyber-crimes.

According to the self-completion elements of the 2019-20 Scottish Crime and Justice Survey (SCJS), almost one-in-eight adults (11.8%) experienced at least one type of stalking and harassment.

Stalking was reclassified as a non-sexual crime during the period between the release of the Recorded Crime statistics in 2019-20 to 2020-21. Prior to this, stalking was classified as an offence.

Some incidents that were recorded as Stalking prior to the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 coming into force, may now be recorded as crimes under the Domestic Abuse Act.

[Source: Recorded crime in Scotland, 2021-22]

• Recorded crime in Scotland, 2021-22

• Criminal Proceedings in Scotland, 2020-21
• World Health Organisation (WHO) Factsheet on violence against women (2021)
• The Rise Report: Supporting young women facing abuse in their intimate relationships
• Scottish Crime and Justice Survey (SCJS) 2019-20
• Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009
• United Nations Facts and figures: Ending violence against women
• Scottish Social Attitudes Survey (2019): Attitudes to violence against women in Scotland
• End Violence Against Women Coalition YouGov Survey on attitudes to rape & sexual violence (2018)