Online child sex abuse and fraud soars during pandemic

Online child sexual abuse and fraud increased sharply during the pandemic in Scotland, according to latest figures.

Police Scotland said there was a 43.4% increase in fraud between April and December compared to the same period last year and a 13.4% increase in the online abuse.

The statistics are covered in the force’s 2020-21 latest performance report and also show a 1.8% increase in domestic abuse crimes.

This is despite overall recorded crimes reducing from 187,334 during the same period last year to 174,999.

The number of 999 calls received reduced by 5.1% but 101 calls increased by 3.4%.

A total of 1,993,318 calls were recorded during the period to both numbers.

People contacting the non-emergency line had to wait longer during the pandemic for a response (2 minutes and 37 seconds on average) but Police Scotland said calls to 999 were prioritised, with an eight-second, average response time.

Deputy Chief Constable Fiona Taylor said: “Officers and staff continue to play a key role in the national effort to combat the spread of coronavirus, while they face the same personal and professional challenges as their fellow citizens.

“Our service centres are operating successfully with reduced capacity due to physical distancing requirements, while also coping with increased call demand from the public seeking guidance on coronavirus related issues.

“While some callers using the 101 non-emergency number have had to wait longer than normal to have their call answered during this time, emergency 999 calls are prioritised and I am grateful to the officers and staff for their commitment to public service.”

The data also shows large increases in incidents of public nuisance (up from 56,936 to 123,979), neighbour disputes (16,021 to 22,930) and noise complaints (43,288 to 51,277).

Ms Taylor added: “The public health crisis continues to influence the needs of our communities, however it may be years before we fully understand the impact of coronavirus on crime and policing demand in Scotland.”