Tackling abuse

I refer to your article “Another day and another 13 harrowing cases of child sexual abuse”, published on 17 November.

The figures quoted are UK-wide figures and do not solely relate to Scotland, as stated in the article. Due to the very 
nature of this crime it is difficult to state precisely the true scale of child abuse in Scotland.

Our focus is on keeping 
people safe and we are establishing a National Child Abuse Investigation Unit to enhance further our whole approach to supporting victims and bringing offenders to justice.

This unit will work closely with officers across our communities to better understand and respond to the many complex and challenging issues which can arise around child abuse.

We are determined to become even more proactive, through working with our many partners, to identify where children may be at risk and to prevent these crimes occurring.

Everyone in our society has a part to play in protecting children.

Accurate public information about the extent of the issue and what is being done to support victims and target offenders is vital.

Malcolm Graham

Assistant Chief Constable Major Crime and Public 
Protection

Police Scotland