Religiously Aggravated Offending in Scotland in 2014-15

Footnotes

1. The total number of charges is taken from the most up-to-date information recorded by the COPFS case management system. This is a live system and the numbers 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 587 charges in 2013-14, 687 in 2012-13 and 901 charges in 2011-12.

2. There were 51 'religious' charges under OFBTCA (50 under section 1 of this Act and 1 under section 6). The religious element in 3 of these charges was included as a section 74 religious aggravation. The other 48 charges involved the religious element within the main charge, so these represent 'extra' charges.

3. 'Generally community' refers to people who happened to be in the vicinity of the charge taking place and may have been affected as a result, but who were not directly targeted by the accused.

4. See: http://scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Crime-Justice/pubCriminalProceedings

5. 'Concluded main charges' consists of all convictions (206 charges), those given no conviction (27 charges) and those where no further action was ruled (11 charges).

6. See: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2003/7/section/74

7. See: http://www.gov.scot/Resource/Doc/362943/0122956.pdf

8. See: http://www.gov.scot/resource/0040/00408745.pdf

9. See: http://www.gov.scot/resource/0042/00424865.pdf

10. See: http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0045/00452559.pdf

11. See: http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2010/11/01090437/22

12. See: http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0044/00447271.pdf

13. See: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2012/1/contents/enacted

14. There were 51 'religious' charges under the Offensive Behaviour legislation (50 under section 1 of this Act and 1 under section 6). The religious element in 3 of these charges was included as a section 74 religious aggravation. The other 48 charges involved the religious element within the main charge, so these represent 'extra' charges.

15. 'Main street' refers to a public street in a town or city centre and is used in this report, and the previous analysis, to distinguish between these areas and residential/suburban areas.

16. The 'association with football' also took into consideration language that referred to a particular football team or relevance to football songs or regalia/symbols.

17. One religious official was the victim of a religiously aggravated incident in 2014-15.

18. See: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Crime-Justice/PubCriminalProceedings

19. 'Community penalty' included a community service order and community payback order.

20. 'Other disposals in 2014-15 include admonishments and absolute discharge.

21. Previous years' data is based on information previously published and hasn't been updated.