Number of reported rapes in Scotland up 11% in a year, figures show

The number of rape and attempted rape reports in Scotland in the past year has risen by 11%, figures show.

Statistics released by the Scottish Government on Tuesday show 3,043 reports of such offences in the year up to September, an increase from 2,746 the previous year.

Since the same period in 2021, the number of rape or attempted rape reports has increased by 25%, the figures showed.

In the past year, reports of sexual crimes have increased by 7%, including a 24% rise in offences including indecent photos of children.

Justice secretary Angela Constance said: “I recognise that multiple factors will lie behind increases in sexual crime.

“Our action to tackle sexual offending includes increasing confidence in the justice system so more victims come forward, improving support for victims, and investing a record £1.64 billion for policing this year.

“We are committed to implementing Equally Safe, Scotland’s strategy for preventing and eradicating violence against women and girls.

“This includes work to prevent violence from occurring in the first place, to build the capacity of support services, and to strengthen the justice response to victims and perpetrators.”

Crimes of dishonesty – such as theft and fraud – saw a small increase in the past year, but a jump of more than 26% since 2021 – fuelled by a massive 129% increase in shoplifting in the past four years.

The figure increased from 21,175 to 48,564 in that time.

Violent crime has jumped by 3% in the past year and 14% since 2021, driven by a rise of 22% in domestic violence reports since 2024 and 64% since 2021.

Drug supply offences rose sharply by 15% in the past year, from 4,392 to 5,041, while those for possession increased by 2% in the last year, but overall dropped by 26% since 2021.

The justice secretary added that Scotland “continues to be a safe place to live, with recorded crime falling by half since 1991”.

She continued: “Violent crime is down significantly over the past 20 years, with serious assaults and homicide levels at near record lows.

“However, I am concerned about rises, particularly in violent and sexual offences. We have been consistently clear that any instance of violence is one too many.

“That is why we are taking a wide range of actions to prevent and reduce violence, with more than £6 million in funding invested over the past three years.

“Our action to tackle sexual offending includes increasing confidence in the justice system so more victims come forward and improving support for victims.

“This year we will invest £4.2 billion across the justice system, including a record £1.64 billion for policing – an increase of £90 million on 2024-25.

“These figures also come on the back of the flagship Scottish Crime and Justice Survey carried out earlier this year, which showed people feel safer in their communities.”