Three per cent rise in domestic abuse offences recorded by Police Scotland

The police recorded 63,867 incidents of domestic abuse in 2023/24, an increase of three per cent compared with the previous year. This is the first year this figure has shown an increase since 2020/21.

In 2023/24, 38 per cent of domestic abuse incidents recorded by Police Scotland included the recording of at least one crime or offence.

The type of crime or offence that was most frequently recorded as part of a domestic abuse incident was common assault, accounting for 31 per cent of all crimes and offences recorded. This was followed by crimes against public justice and threatening and abusive behaviour, each accounting for 20 per cent of crimes and offences.

Following its enactment on April 1, 2019, crimes recorded under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 accounted for five per cent of crimes and offences recorded as part of a domestic abuse incident in 2023/24.

There were 116 incidents of domestic abuse per 10,000 population recorded by Police Scotland in 2023/24, according to the Chief Statistician’s figures.. At a local authority level, Dundee City (183), West Dunbartonshire (153) and West Lothian (149) recorded the highest incident rates per 10,000 population.

Where gender information was recorded, just over four-in-five incidents of domestic abuse (81 per cent) during the 12 months had a female victim and a male suspected perpetrator – the same as the previous two years.

The 31 to 35 years old age group had the highest incident rate for both victims (267 incidents recorded per 10,000 population) and for the suspected perpetrators (233 incidents recorded per 10,000 population).

Just under a third of incidents (31 per cent) occurred at the weekend in 2023/24. This is a slight decrease from 32 per cent in the previous 12 months..

Nine-in-ten (90 per cent) of all domestic abuse incidents occurred in a home or dwelling where location was recorded.