THE number of suspected rapists let out on bail in Scotland almost doubled during the first decade of devolution, it has emerged.
The revelation has led to calls that rules on bail are tightened to ensure the public are protected from potentially dangerous criminals. In 1998/99 126 individuals accused of rape were given bail compared to 244 in 2006/07, although this was down f
rom 268 the year before.
Scottish justice has come under fire over low conviction rates for rape. The Conservatives said that the human rights legislation in 1999 was mostly to blame.
Tory justice spokesman Bill Aitken, Holyrood's Justice Committee convener, said: "There has been a grave imbalance in the criminal justice system because of the human rights legislation which is used in the accused's favour rather than that of public safety."
Liberal Democrats Justice spokesman Robert Brown, who received the information on rapists let out on bail in a written answer, added: "A presumption of innocence is paramount in our legal system.
"But it is really important that the victim is not forgotten in all of this."
However, a Scottish Government spokesman said that bail rules have been strengthened.
He added: "It's for the courts to decide in each case whether to remand an accused person."
