Homicide in Scotland 2021-22

Annexes

Data Quality Statement

The statistics presented in this bulletin are based on a snapshot of Police Scotland’s live homicide database at an agreed date. Police Scotland maintain a continuously updated list of homicide cases that the Scottish Government uses to populate its own database of homicides in Scotland.

The data provided by Police Scotland go through a series of validation checks, whereby any queries raised through this quality assurance process are fed back to Police Scotland for consideration and discussion. It should be noted that homicides are very high profile crimes, and – in many instances – discussed openly in public. Both Scottish Government statisticians and homicide specialists within Police Scotland consider it unlikely that any major errors exist (as opposed to our practice outlined below for making revisions).

Since it is a ‘live’ system, amendments to Police Scotland’s database can arise after the data has been submitted to the Scottish Government (for example, a serious assault may be reclassified to a culpable homicide sometime after the crime was first recorded by the police).

To allow for these changes, we make retrospective revisions to earlier data for all years since the formation of Police Scotland (i.e. 2013-14 onwards). There were three such cases this time, two additional cases in 2020-21 and one case where the recorded date has been revised from 2020-21 to 2021-22. As such the total number of homicide cases published in last year’s bulletin has been revised upwards from 55 to 56 for 2020-21. Earlier revisions are detailed in Homicide in Scotland 2020-2021: statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

As National Statistics, this information on homicide in Scotland is subject to continuous review by analysts to ensure it remains of high value for users. When producing the 2017-18 statistics, we identified that there is a tendency for the first publication of figures for a particular year to be revised upwards in subsequent bulletins - due to developments with specific cases. As outlined above, an example of this could be where a victim of serious assault dies of their injuries sometime after the incident, which could subsequently lead to the case being reclassified to a culpable homicide. Decisions at the prosecution stage can also have an impact, leading to some crimes being reclassified to homicides.

Given this, we made a small amendment to the data collection process for these statistics in 2017-18. As with earlier bulletins, we continue to present statistics based on a snapshot of Police Scotland’s live homicide database as at the end of the reporting year. However in addition to this, we now carry out a further check during the month before publication – whereby any crimes recorded during previous reporting years but not reclassified to a homicide until after the current reporting year, can now be included in the first publication of that year’s statistics – and not as a subsequent revision. There was one such case in 2021-22.

This change further improves the quality of these statistics as it reduces the need for subsequent revisions to the data, though clearly they can still occur should crimes be reclassified to a homicide after the additional check has been carried out.

In addition to the above consideration of our revisions policy, we also previously discussed with Police Scotland the increase in homicide cases with a drug-related motive from 2016-17 onwards. 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.

Police Scotland Management Information

In addition to the National Statistics, Police Scotland publish management information on the number of homicides reported by the police. This is presented within their Quarterly Management Information Reports, which are available from Police Scotland - How we are performing.

These reports are produced to demonstrate Police Scotland’s commitment to transparency (alongside other regular reporting activity to the Scottish Police Authority). The information within these reports is presented on a cumulative quarterly basis, with the first quarter of a reporting year containing three months of data (from April to June), the second containing six months of data (from April to September) etc. The reports are typically published within two months of the period to which they refer.

The Quarterly Management Information Reports make clear to users that the data they contain on recorded homicides is based on the administrative data available to Police Scotland at that time and not the National Statistics. The annual National Statistics published by the Scottish Government on police recorded crime are based on management information which has undergone further quality assurance work, including additional dialogue with Police Scotland, in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

User feedback

We always welcome feedback on the content of our statistical bulletins and users are welcome to submit their comments to: JusticeAnalysts@gov.scot.

If you would like to be kept informed about developments in crime statistics, we suggest registering with ScotStat.

Clearly, only a limited selection of tables can be included in any statistical bulletin. Further analysis of homicides in Scotland can be supplied on request. In certain cases a fee is charged. For details of what can be provided, please contact Huw Landrock by email JusticeAnalysts@gov.scot.

Glossary

Accused

(i) A person who has been arrested in respect of an offence initially classified as homicide and charged with homicide; or

(ii) A person who is suspected by the police of having committed the offence but is known to have died or committed suicide prior to arrest/being charged.

Accused (Co-accused)

For those cases with multiple accused which are currently recorded as homicide, the co-accused are included in the statistics in this bulletin regardless of whether or not they were ultimately charged with homicide.

Accused (Main accused)

Where more than one person is accused of committing a homicide, the main accused is taken as the person who received the severest penalty. If more than one possible main accused is identified, then the first person recorded on the statistical returns that is submitted annually by Police Scotland is selected.

Alcohol status

On 1 April 2013, Police Scotland changed their operational practices when reporting on the alcohol status of the accused and victim. Individuals are no longer referred to as being ‘drunk’ and are referred to as ‘being under the influence of alcohol’.

Current and initial classification of homicide

Some cases initially classified as homicide will, on the basis of criminal proceedings, no longer be classified as such at a later date.

Date

A homicide case is included against the year in which the crime that led to the homicide is first recorded by the police. This is not necessarily the year in which the victim dies, the year in which the accused is brought to trial for the crime, or the year in which the case is finally disposed of by the courts.

Homicide case

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.

Main method

Only one method of killing has been selected for each victim. The main method is taken to be the most serious of those methods recorded. Methods of killing have been ranked in the following order of priority: shooting, sharp instrument, blunt instrument, hitting and kicking, strangulation or asphyxiation, drowning, fire, poisoning and other or unknown.

Main method (poisoning)

The main method of “poisoning” includes the use of drugs, gas and carbon monoxide poisoning.

Main method (sharp instrument)

The term “sharp instrument” includes knives, broken bottles, swords, sharpened screwdrivers and any other pointed or edged weapons.

Main motive

The motive behind committing a homicide is as determined by the police.

Main motive (drug-related)

A “drug-related” homicide is defined as a homicide motivated by a need to obtain drugs or money for drugs, a homicide of or by a consumer or supplier of drugs, a homicide committed in order to steal proceeds of the drugs trade or a homicide as a consequence of rivalry between users and/or dealers within the drugs trade.

Relationship

When considering the relationship of the main accused person to the victim, the term “partner or ex-partner” includes: spouse, separated or divorced spouse, cohabitee, lover, boy/girlfriend and ex-boy/girlfriend.

Solved cases

The distinction between “solved” and “unsolved” homicide cases is where an accused individual is attached to it (solved) and where an accused individual has not been identified (unsolved).

Victim (main victim)

If a person is accused of killing more than one victim, the main victim is the person for whom the accused received the severest penalty for killing. Where more than one possible main victim can be identified, then the first person recorded on the statistical return is selected as the main victim.