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News | Rape Crisis Scotland calls for bold action as conviction rates for rape and attempted rape remain lowest of all crimes for the last ten years.

Rape Crisis Scotland calls for bold action as conviction rates for rape and attempted rape remain lowest of all crimes for the last ten years.

New figures released by the Scottish Government in June 2022 reveal that rape and attempted rape has had the lowest conviction rate of all crimes each year for the last decade.

In 2021-22, just 51% of rape and attempted rape trials resulted in a conviction, compared to a 91% overall conviction rate. The number of convictions also decreased by 40% from 130 in 2019-20 to just 78 in 2020-21.

The number of prosecutions for these crimes has also fallen by 49% from 299 in 2019-20 to 152 in 2020-21. The significant drop in proceedings is likely to be because of the impact of COVID, yet the drop in proceedings overall is lower at 46%.

Chief Executive of Rape Crisis Scotland, Sandy Brindley said:

“While these figures show a slight increase in the proportion of rape and attempted rape trials that have led to convictions, they reveal a very significant drop in the number of convictions during this period.

Prior to the pandemic, rape survivors were already experiencing unacceptable delays, with some waiting up to two years for their case to get to court. The impact of COVID-19 has pushed these delays further, resulting in the alarming drop in conviction numbers that we are seeing now.

Survivors often tell us that waiting to go through the criminal justice system leaves them feeling stuck. Many survivors put their lives on hold for years and endure what is often described as a traumatic experience in court, for only a slim chance at justice. We have serious concerns about the impact of these delays on the mental wellbeing of survivors.

Bold action is needed to minimise the impact on survivors and to ensure that these delays do not have long-term consequences for all survivors seeking justice.”

Rape & attempted rape

2016/17

2017/18

2018/19

2019/20

2020/21

Reported

1878

2255

2426

2343

2213

Prosecuted

251

246

313

299

152*

Convicted

99

106

142

130

78*

% of cases prosecuted resulting in conviction

39.4%

43%

45.37%

43.33%

51%











*Please note that recording delays are typical for high court activity due to the complex nature of cases held there. As a result, the number of proceedings and convictions for rape and attempted rape for 2020-21 may be slightly underestimated. More information is available in the Annex revisions section.

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