Reported rapes and convictions in Scotland: FOI release

Information requested

You asked for:

The most recent data (2018 and, if available, 2019) regarding reported rapes in Scotland and the number of convictions.

Response

Information on the number of Rape and attempted rape crimes recorded by the police is available in the ‘Recorded Crime in Scotland, 2018-19’ National Statistics publication (Table A1: Sexual crimes recorded by the police, Scotland, 2009-10 to 2018-19: https://www.gov.scot/publications/recordedcrime-scotland-2018-19/pages/15/).

Information on the number of people convicted for Rape and attempted rape is provided in the table below.

Number of people convicted of rape and attempted rape, where main charge, 2008-09 to 2017-18

	2008 -09	2009 -10	2010 -11	2011 -12	2012 -13	2013 -14	2014 -15	2015 -16	2016 -17	2017 -18
Total convicted	42	57	36	49	77	91	125	105	99	107
Rape (offences prior to 1 Dec 2010)	28	45	22	24	27	31	41	29	35	45
Rape	-	-	-	12	37	53	75	62	56	56
Attempted rape (offences prior to 1 Dec 2010)	14	12	14	13	4	4	5	7	3	4
Attempted rape (offences after 1 Dec 2010)	-	-	-	-	9	3	4	7	5	2

Source: Scottish Government Criminal Proceedings Database.

More detailed statistics on number of proceedings and convictions for crimes including Rape and attempted rape in Scottish courts can be found in tables 2(a), 2(b), 4(a) and 4(b) of the 'Criminal Proceedings in Scotland, 2017-18' National Statistics publication

(https://www.gov.scot/publications/criminal-proceedings-scotland-2017-18/).

The ‘Criminal Proceedings in Scotland, 2018-19’ National Statistics will be published on 28th January 2020.

The statistics dealing with recorded crime and court proceedings are not directly comparable as a person may be proceeded against for more than one crime involving more than one victim and there is the possibility that the crime recorded by the police may be altered in the course of judicial proceedings. Also a crime may be recorded by the police in one year and court proceedings concluded in a subsequent year.

Whilst differences in counting methods[1] mean the figures in the recorded crime and criminal proceedings publications are not directly comparable, a crime or offence only comes to the attention of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service for consideration for prosecution once it has been recorded as such by the police, so recorded crime figures will have some influence on the number of prosecutions and convictions in court.

Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the websites above, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

[1] For more information please see Annex C, 'Criminal Proceedings in Scotland, 2017-18’: https://www.gov.scot/publications/criminal-proceedings-scotland-2017-18/pages/40/

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.