Coronavirus (COVID-19): Justice Analytical Services data report - August 2021

Police Recorded Domestic Abuse Incidents

The number of Domestic Abuse incidents recorded in August 2021 was lower than the level seen in August 2020, but higher than in August 2019.

These updates (including the proportion with a crime or offence) will be reflected in future editions of the Official Statistics on Domestic Abuse in Scotland. The most recent edition covers the 2019-20 reporting year.

In August 2021:

5,538 Domestic incidents recorded

Down 4% since August 2020 (5,762 incidents)

Up 3% since August 2019 (5,392 incidents)

In April to August 2021:

26,790 Domestic incidents recorded

Down 7% since the same months in 2020 (28,783 incidents)

Up 1% since the same months in 2019 (26,602 incidents)

The proportion of April to August 2021 incidents that included the recording of at least one crime or offence was 42.1%, which is lower than for the equivalent period in 2020-21 of 43.2%.

In addition to the above, separate figures on crimes recorded under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 are available from the Recorded Crime in Scotland monthly Official Statistics. There were 134 such crimes recorded by the police in August 2021, this is 10% higher than August 2020 (122 crimes) but 7% lower than August 2019 (144 crimes).

Police Recorded Domestic Abuse Incidents per 10,000 population

Across Scotland as a whole, the police recorded 49 domestic abuse incidents per 10,000 population^[1] during the period April to August 2021.

The local authorities with the highest rates were Dundee City Council (74), West Dunbartonshire (67) and Clackmannanshire (65).

The following map shows local authorities with above the national average (in a darker shading) of Domestic Abuse incidents per 10,000 population, in the period April to August 2021.

Further Information:

The crime data in this section comes from the monthly Official Statistics on crimes and offences recorded by the police in Scotland during the COVID-19 pandemic.

For more information, please see the Monthly Official Statistics on Recorded Crime in Scotland.