Homicide in Scotland 2016-2017: statistics

Homicide in Scotland 2016-17

This bulletin presents statistics on crimes of homicide recorded by the police in Scotland in 2016-17. Statistics are presented on the number of homicide cases recorded in Scotland, where a single case of homicide is counted for each crime involving Murder or Culpable homicide (common law), irrespective of the number of victims or accused. This bulletin also presents victim and accused data, the circumstances associated with the homicide, and additional details relating to the method, motive and relationship between the victim and the accused.

Key Points

• Between 2015-16 and 2016-17, the number of homicide cases recorded by the police in Scotland increased by 5% (3 cases) from 58 to 61 (Table 1). This is the joint second lowest number of recorded homicide cases for a single twelve month period since 1976, the first year for which comparable data are available.
• Over the ten year period from 2007-08 to 2016-17, the number of homicide cases in Scotland fell by 47% (54 cases) from 115 to 61 (Table 1). Glasgow City accounted for one third (33%) of this decrease. In 2016-17, one fifth (12) of the 61 national recorded homicide cases occurred within Glasgow City (Table 2).
• In 2016-17, 64 victims of homicide were recorded, 10% (6 victims) more than the 58 victims recorded in 2015-16 (Table 1). As at 31 March 2017, three cases of homicide recorded in 2016-17 were unsolved.
• In 2016-17, 77 persons were accused of homicide and 88% (68) of them were male (Table 6). Of the 64 victims, 75% (48) were also male (Table 5).
• For each of the last ten years, the most common method of killing was with a sharp instrument (Table 7). In 2016-17, a sharp instrument was the main method of killing for 50% (32)^[1] of homicide victims.

Homicide in Scotland 2016-17^[2]

The number of homicide cases in Scotland has fallen by 47% in the past 10 years

In 2016-17:

50% of victims were killed using a sharp instrument
- 94% of which involved a knife

17% of victims were killed by hitting and kicking

2% of victims were killed by shooting

67% of homicides occurred in a residential location
- 85% of which occurred in a dwelling

30% of homicides occurred on a street or footpath

The remaining 3% occurred in a public place indoors

In the last ten years:

The number of homicide victims has fallen by 44%

The number of those accused of homicide fell by 48%

The homicide rate has fallen from 22 - 12 victims per million population

Victims 64

48 (Male) 16 (Female)

Half of male victims were killed by an acquaintance

50% of male victims

Most female victims were killed either by a partner / ex-partner or an acquaintance

57% of female victims

Accused 77

68 (Male) 9 (Female)