24 male victims of domestic abuse every day include police, soldiers and doctors

DOMESTIC violence against men is rising at a time when incidents against women are falling, according to new statistics released by a Scottish charity.

Abused Men In Scotland (AMIS) has warned there is a "culture of denial" surrounding male victims, despite a growing number being assaulted by wives and girlfriends.

The number of male victims rose by 9.4 per cent from 7,908 in 2008-9 to 8,649 last year - roughly 24 a day - while incidents against women fell from 45,612 to 42,821, down 6.1 per cent.

Alison Waugh, co-founder of AMIS, said victims came from all social backgrounds and included doctors, police officers and servicemen, who were often too embarrassed to seek help.

She added: "Unfortunately, there is still a culture of denial among many politicians and providers of services, who do not want to acknowledge the evidence in front of their eyes that thousands of men every year in Scotland are victims of domestic abuse.

"They are abused first by their partner or ex-partner and then again by the public narrative that does not want to know about the damage they and their children experience."

One in six victims of domestic violence in Scotland is male. The figures covered all eight Scottish police forces.

The number of male victims in Lothian and Borders, Central, Fife, Grampian, Strathclyde and Tayside all rose, while incidents fell in the Northern Constabulary area and Dumfries and Galloway. Only Tayside recorded an increase in female victims.

Police have made a series of appeals for victims of domestic violence to come forward, fearing it is a seriously under-reported crime, with many victims suffering in silence.

However, AMIS believes Scotland currently lacks the specialised services needed to tackle domestic violence against men, despite the issue being debated in the Scottish Parliament earlier this year.

Ms Waugh and co-founder Jackie Walls lodged a petition at the Scottish Parliament in 2009, calling for greater focus on male victims, and set up the National Lottery-funded charity on the back of that.

Alex Neil, housing and communities minister, said: "Men and women can both be victims of domestic abuse, and we know that men feel under immense pressure to keep up the pretence that everything is OK.

"This government is taking a lead in breaking this taboo and doing all we can to get the message across to men that they are not alone and that there is someone standing ready to listen and help.This year we established the confidential Men's Advice Line in Scotland to encourage more men who are suffering abuse to call and get the help they need."

Mr Neil added: "We are also delivering training for health professionals in spotting the signs of domestic abuse in both men and women.

"We are determined to drive the message home that men suffer too and help and support is available."

Assistant Chief Constable Iain Livingstone, Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland's (Acpos) lead on public protection, added: "Domestic abuse will not be tolerated in any circumstances. Full engagement with voluntary organisations such as AMIS is crucial to combating the devastating impact of domestic abuse."