Homicide in Scotland 2021-22

Persons accused of homicide

Table 6; Charts 4, 5

• The number of people accused of homicide has shown an overall downward trend since 2004-05 (Chart 4). In 2021-22, there were 63 persons accused of homicide, 4 fewer than in 2020-21. This is the lowest number since comparable records began in 1976.

• The vast majority of persons accused of homicide since 2000-01 have been male, making up 95% of all accused in 2021-22.
• For all of the 53 homicide victims recorded in 2021-22, the associated case was solved.
• In 2021-22, the total number of individuals accused of homicide equated to 11 per million population. The rates for those accused of homicide were highest for those aged 16-24 (22 per million population), 25-34 (23 per million population) and 35-44 (22 per million population).
• Chart 5 shows the rate for accused by age group and sex for homicides since 2012-13 (i.e. for the past 10 years – representing 777 accused). The rates for males accused of homicide per million population were considerably higher across all age groups than for females.

• In 2021-22, the median age of a person accused of homicide was 35 years old, which is four years older than in 2020-21 when the median age was 31 years old. Over the past 10 years the median age of a person accused of homicide ranged between 29 and 35 years old (Table 1).
• The median age of a person accused of homicide has been higher than the median age of victims of homicide in each of the last ten years.

Method

Table 7; Chart 6

• Chart 6 shows that the most common main method of killing in each of the last 10 years was with a sharp instrument. This includes 47% (25) of homicide victims in 2021-22, all but three of which involved a knife. The next most common main method was hitting and kicking, accounting for 17% (9) of homicide victims in 2021-22.
• Homicide by shooting is relatively rare in Scotland. In 2021-22, there was one victim recorded. Since 2012-13 there have been 15 recorded victims of shooting, accounting for 2% of all homicide victims over this period.

Relationship of main accused to victim

Tables 8-10; Charts 7-8

• The victim and main accused were known to each other in a majority of cases, representing 79% of homicides solved in 2021-22. The accused was not known to the victim in ten homicides (19%). The relationship to the main accused was unknown in the remaining 2%.
• For those homicides where the victim and accused were known to each other, 57% were acquaintances, 24% were partners or ex-partners and 19% were relatives.

• Chart 7 shows the number of homicides for male and female victims by their relationship to the main accused for all victims since 2012-13. Over the past 10 years, a majority of male victims were killed by an acquaintance (56%). In comparison, over the same period, female victims were most likely to be killed by a partner or ex-partner (42%).
• For the latest year of 2021-22, of the 36 male victims where the relationship to the accused was known, 61% (22 victims) were killed by an acquaintance. Over half (56% or 9 victims) of the 16 female victims were killed by a partner or ex-partner.

• Table 9 shows that between 2012-13 and 2021-22, a total of 31 children under the age of 16 years were victims of homicide (where there was an accused person). Of these, 61% were killed by one of their parents. Since 2012-13 there have been 11 victims aged under one year old and in all but three cases (where there was an accused person) the main accused was a parent.
• Table 9 also shows that for all homicides recorded in the last 10 years, 58% of male victims aged between 16 and 64 years old were killed by an acquaintance, 25% were killed by a stranger, 4% were killed by a partner or ex-partner and 5% were killed by a relative. Over half (52%) of female victims aged between 16 and 64 years old were killed by their partner or ex-partner, 26% were killed by an acquaintance, 10% were killed by a relative and 8% were killed by a stranger.
• Chart 8 shows that over two-thirds of all homicide cases (68%) recorded between 2012-13 and 2021-22 involved males killing males. Cases where the main accused and main victim were both female accounted for just 2% of the total number.

Main motive

Tables 11-14

• The most common reasons recorded for committing homicide in the 10 year period between 2012-13 and 2021-22, were fight or quarrel, and rage or fury, with 42% of all victims in solved cases killed in such circumstances. For a further 32% of victims during this 10 year period the motive was unknown (Table 11).
• In terms of the most recent year (2021-22), rage or fury and fight or quarrel accounted for 54% of all victims in solved cases. For 21% of victims in solved cases the motive was a feud or faction rivalry. In 17% of solved cases the motive was unknown.
• In the period 2012-13 to 2021-22, 81% of all female victims were killed in a dwelling, compared with 55% of males.
• Table 12 also shows the location, relationship and motives associated with all homicides recorded over the past 10 years. The most common set of circumstances associated with a male victim are a rage or fight with an acquaintance in a dwelling (accounting for 16% of male victims). The second most common set of circumstances are an unknown motive with an acquaintance in a dwelling, accounting for a further 11% of male victims.
• The most common set of circumstances associated with a female victim are a rage or fight with a partner or ex-partner in a dwelling (accounting for 18% of female victims). The second most common set of circumstances are an unknown motive with partner or ex-partner in a dwelling, accounting for a further 15% of female victims.
• Thirty-six (68%) victims were reported to have been killed in drug-related homicide cases in 2021-22, of which 26 were male (Table 13). This is a decrease of 4 victims on the 40 reported in 2020-21. The number of drug-related homicide cases is higher over the past six years than in preceding years, though Police Scotland advise that this may be due at least in part to an improvement in recording practice (i.e. better identification of where motives can include a drug-related element). Given this, users are advised to exercise some caution when comparing this variable with years prior to 2016-17.
• None of the 53 homicides recorded in 2021-22 were reported to have a homophobic or racial motivation. In all homicide cases in the 10 years leading up to 2021-22, 1% had a homophobic or racist motivation (Table 14).

Use of alcohol and drugs

Tables 15-18;

• Of the 63 persons accused in homicide cases in 2021-22, 29 (46%) were reported to have been under the influence of alcohol, drugs or a combination of both at the time of the homicide. These 29 accused break down into 15 (24% of all accused) who were under the influence of alcohol, 10 (16%) who were under the influence of alcohol and drugs and four (6%) who were under the influence of drugs alone (Table 15).
• In 2021-22, the alcohol and drug status of the accused was unknown for 31 persons, 49% of all accused. Three accused persons (5%) were reported to have been neither under the influence of alcohol nor drugs at the time of the homicide (Table 15).
• In the 10 year period between 2012-13 and 2021-22, 43% of all accused were reported to have been under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs at the time of the homicide. This is higher for males (44%) than females (35%) (Table 16).

Comparator statistics

Table 4; Chart 9

• This bulletin has reported a decreasing trend in homicides over the longer term. Chart 9 shows this trend over the last 10 years and compares it to the trend in attempted murder and serious assaults. This latter information is taken from the Recorded Crime in Scotland, 2021-2022 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) bulletin.

• Homicide and attempted murder have remained at lower levels than 10 years ago, whereas serious assault has been higher for the most part. In the latest year, whilst homicide and attempted murder levels fell, the number of serious assaults increased.
• Similar to Scotland, England & Wales also produce National Statistics on Homicide, which is extracted from a dedicated database - the Home Office Homicide Index. The latest data published is for the 2020-21 reporting year available here Homicide in England and Wales - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk).
• Direct comparisons between Scotland and England & Wales should be treated with some caution due to uncertainty around different counting and classification conventions.
• Further to this, users should note that in England & Wales, as in Scotland, it is possible for homicides that occurred sometime in the past to be recorded in more recent years. For example whilst the data for 2021-22 are not yet available, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has previously highlighted that earlier figures for 2016-17 included the 96 victims of Hillsborough which occurred in 1989, representing 14% of all victims in 2016-17.
• One area where some general comparisons can be made are the broad trends in changes over time between Scotland and England & Wales, though still allowing for the caveats outlined above.
• In Scotland, the number of homicides has fallen over the longer term but remained relatively stable during 2012-13 to 2020-21 (with between 59 and 66 victims each year). The latest publication for 2020-21 reported that in England & Wales the number of homicides recorded in the year ending March 2021 was lower than the previous year.