Charges reported under the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act 2012 in 2013-14

Footnotes

1. The total number of charges is taken from the most up-to date information recorded on the COPFS case management system. This is a live system and numbers may vary from those previously published because of changes made during the course of investigation and prosecution of a case. The research conducted last year was based on the latest information available at the time, and reported 268 charges in 2012-13. The comparisons in the remainder of this report are based on the total number of charges that were analysed and included in the past reports by the Scottish Government at the time the research was carried out.

2. See: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Crime-Justice/PubCriminalProceedings

3. Including where charges were added as a result of expressing hatred, or stirring up hatred, against people based on their membership, or presumed membership of a religious group, a social or cultural group with a perceived religious affiliation, or a group defined by reference to colour, race, nationality (including citizenship), ethnic or national origins, sexual orientation, transgender identity or disability.

4. Although this report includes charges reported during 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2014, incidents may have occurred before this date.

5. For the purpose of this analysis, hateful references to colour, race, nationality (including citizenship), and ethnic or national origins were included as racial hatred.

6. An updated method of classification was used this year: gesturing people to fight was categorised as 'generally offensive' rather than 'gesture' as it is more closely aligned with other charges that were classified as generally offensive. Therefore the generally offensive and gesture categories are not directly comparable for the two years.

7. Scottish Local Authority area population rate is based on GROS mid-year population rates 2012, rounded to the nearest 1. Available at http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/files2/stats/population-estimates/mid2012/mid-2011-2012-pop-est.pdf

8. The period of analysis is 01/04/13 to 31/03/14. Some offences took place prior to this period and are included because they were reported within the period of analysis (and were therefore not captured in the 2012-13 report).

9. See: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Crime-Justice/PubCriminalProceedings

10. 'Community Penalty' includes a community service order and community payback order.

11. The total number of charges is taken from the most up-to date information recorded on the COPFS case management system. This is a live system and the number of totals may vary from those previously published due to changes made during the course of investigation and prosecution of a case. The research conducted last year was based on the latest information available at the time, and reported 20 in 2012-13.

12. Two of the charges that were classified for the purposes of this report as being support of terrorist groups or celebrating loss of life were also charged under section 74 with a religious aggravation.