Women are being 'failed' as sexual crimes in Scotland soar
New statistics show crime levels in Scotland have increased across the board over the past year.
Women are being “failed” by Scotland’s justice system, it has been claimed, as figures show a sharp increase in rapes and other sexual crimes over the past year.
Data from Scotland’s chief statistician shows reported rapes and attempted rapes rose sharply by 15 per cent from 2,609 in June last year to 3,004 in June 2025. This is also 21 per cent higher than 2021 levels.
Overall sexual crimes rose by more than 5 per cent from 14,417 to 15,129 in the past year. This is also 9 per cent higher than the 13,939 recorded in June 2021.
Rape Crisis Scotland said the figures needed to be a wake-up call about the “rising prevalence of sexual violence”.
Sandy Brindley, chief executive of Rape Crisis Scotland, said: “Despite record numbers of rape, it still has the lowest conviction rate of any crime type in Scotland.
“It also remains incredibly under-reported, so these figures still do not show the full extent of people affected by rape and sexual violence in this country.
“Let’s not sugarcoat today’s figures by suggesting that they represent an increased faith in the police and the criminal justice system. More survivors may well be coming forward, but an increase in rapes is just that - an increase in the number of women who are being raped.”
Ms Brindley said work needed to be done on public attitudes towards rape and sexual violence, as juries often struggled with the reality of who a rapist was.
“We have seen a sharp rise in the number of young women and girls reporting sexual harassment and even sexual assault at school as a common occurrence,” she said.
“We hear about teenage boys quoting dangerous figures like Andrew Tate, and young people being influenced by violent sexual content online, all the while the government has abandoned its pledge to legislate against misogyny.
Reports made under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act also rose by 26 per cent from 2,169 to 2,742 in the 12 months since June last year. This is an increase of 63 per cent on 2021 levels.
On top of this, violent crimes that are non-sexual also increased by 1 per cent from 71,394 to 71,915. This is also up 12 per cent on 2021 levels.
Pauline McNeill, Scottish Labour’s justice spokeswoman, said: “Under the SNP, things are moving in the wrong direction and women are being failed. The SNP has wreaked havoc with our justice system and now crime is on the rise and violence against women is at crisis point.
“This shameful rise in domestic abuse and sexual violence shows the SNP has failed to do enough to tackle the attitudes of boys and men, which is fundamental to changing these worrying trends. Police Scotland is stretched to breaking point and our communities have been made less safe.”
Ms McNeill said her party would “address the root causes of misogynistic violence” if elected in next year’s Holyrood ballot.
The statistics show there were 303,343 recorded crimes in the year to June. This is up 1 per cent on the 300,078 recorded the previous year.
Police Scotland also recorded 184,331 offences in the year ending in June, up 4 per cent on the previous year.
Liam Kerr, the Scottish Conservatives’ justice spokesman, said: “This deeply alarming rise in recorded crime is the inevitable consequence of the SNP’s brutal and sustained police cuts and weak sentencing policies.
“It is particularly worrying to see a sharp rise in the number of rapes and sexual assault cases.
“SNP ministers must put victims’ needs first, rather than those of dangerous criminals whose so-called punishments are often so lenient they provide no deterrent whatsoever.”
The statistics also show crimes of dishonesty increased by 26 per cent in the past four years, and crimes against society were 5 per cent higher than a year ago.
However, damage and reckless behaviour fell by 3 per cent over the past year and 12 per cent over the past four years.
The Scottish Retail Consortium said more needed to be done to stop shoplifting after an “appalling” 47,000 instances of shop thefts were recorded.
David Lonsdale, director of the consortium, said: “Thieving from stores isn’t a victimless crime. Indeed it’s a key factor behind rising levels of abuse and threats towards shop workers and we know from member feedback that thieves are becoming bolder and more aggressive.
“The financial cost pushes up prices for shoppers and undermines the health and vitality of our high streets.”
Justice Secretary Angela Constance mantained that Scotland “continues to be a safe place to live”, pointing out reported crime had halved since 1991. However, she said she was “very concerned” about the increases in sexual violence and domestic abuse.
She said: “Whilst I welcome that some of this increase will be due to an increase in reporting and trust in the justice system, it is abhorrent that such crimes, which are mainly against women, are taking place.
“This year we will invest £4.2 billion across the justice system including a record £1.64bn for policing - an increase of £90m on 2024/25.”
Ms Constance said there were multiple factors contributing to the rise in sexual crime, and stressed the Government was focusing on improving victim support and modernising sexual offences legislation.
“These statistics are a stark reminder of the unacceptable levels of domestic abuse that occur in Scotland,” she said. “A person’s home should be a place of safety and we know that it is not always the case and that women are disproportionately victims of domestic abuse.
“We are working with local and national partners to implement Equally Safe, Scotland’s strategy for preventing and eradicating violence against women and girls.”
Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Steve Johnson said: “My hope is that increased reporting indicates increased confidence in victims coming forward, as we work with partners to improve our response to reports of sexual crimes, which have a devastating impact on victims.
“Women and girls should be able to live their lives free from all forms of violence, abuse, harassment and exploitation. We want to prevent sexual crime, by tackling behaviours that demean, minimise and brutalise women.
“We are implementing our violence against women and girls strategy with its focus on a trauma-informed approach from first contact.
“Our role is crucial, but policing alone cannot stop or prevent violence against women and girls. Our ongoing work with partners is central to both preventing crime and supporting victims.”