Scottish Government 'extremely concerned' amid 9% rise in sexual crimes in a year

Key Points

Rape and attempted rape has increased by 8% in a year
Sex crimes rise 9% in a year
Overall crime up by 7%
Rape and attempted rape up 32% since 2022
Scottish Government “extremely concerned” by statistics

Sexual crime in Scotland has risen by 9% in a year, new statistics reveal.

Scotland’s chief statistician has released data about overall recorded crime in 2025-26, with those figures including a total of 16,560 sexual offences.

The data reveals a 9% rise in sexual crimes in a single year, 13% higher than the year ending June 2022.

The number of rapes and attempted rapes reported in Scotland has risen by almost one third in four years.

Figures showed cases of rape and attempted rape rose 8% between 2024-25 and 2025-26, and were 32% higher than 2022, with 3,240 offences recorded last year.

The number of domestic abuse incidents reported has increased 81% in the past four years, and 19% in the past 12 months, with 3,264 reports made in the year to June.

The number of reported domestic abuse incidents has soared in the last four years. iStock

Meanwhile, non-sexual crimes of violence rose by 7% over the last year to 77,005 in 2025-26, a total that is 10% higher than the year ending June 2022.

The figures also showed a 10% increase in crimes against dishonesty, rising from 112,421 to 123,906, which is 27% higher than the year ending June 2022.

Meanwhile, an estimated 68,098 crimes against society were recorded by the police in 2025-26, a rise of 5% from the previous year, and 15% from the year ending June 2022.

According to the data, damage and reckless behaviour was 2% lower than last year, and 15% lower compared to the year ending June 2022.

Overall crime stood at 323,531, which is 7% higher than the year ending June 2025.

Sexual crimes and domestic abuse offences ‘reflect broader pattern across UK’

Justice secretary Neil Gray said he was “extremely concerned” by the rise in sex and domestic abuse crimes.

He said: “While Scotland remains a safe place to live and recorded crime has fallen by almost half since its peak in 1991, I am extremely concerned by the rise in sexual crimes and domestic abuse offences recorded under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018. These are abhorrent crimes and, unfortunately, reflect a broader pattern seen across the UK.

“It is encouraging that more victims feel able to come forward and report offences, including historical crimes. Protecting victims and ensuring public safety are at the heart of our justice system, and we have taken action to strengthen confidence in that system by introducing legislation and ensuring that police, prosecutors and courts have the powers they need to bring perpetrators to justice.

“Sexual and domestic abuse crimes are overwhelmingly perpetrated by men against women and, ultimately, men must change their behaviour. We must root out and tackle the toxic masculinity and gender inequality that leads to violence, harassment, misogyny and abuse against women. We should stand against these behaviours and call them out.

“The First Minister has pledged to drive forward change and has met with survivors, frontline organisations and public sector partners to help shape further action. Prevention remains the best route to tackle and challenge attitudes that underpin violence against women and girls.

“This is why we’re funding initiatives like Rape Crisis Scotland’s national Sexual Violence Prevention Programme and working with partners to implement Equally Safe, Scotland’s strategy to prevent and eradicate violence against women and girls. Over the next two years, we will invest £43.2m through the Delivering Equally Safe Fund, alongside more than £1.7bn for policing.”

‘Victims are being let down’

Scottish Conservative justice spokesman, Stephen Kerr MSP said: “Scotland is becoming a lawless country on the SNP’s watch, and these figures are utterly disgraceful.

“After 19 years in power, crime is still going up, violent crime is at a four-year high and shoplifting has surged by 20% in a single year. Most disturbingly, rape and attempted rape are up 32% since 2022.

“Victims are being let down while criminals are being given more and more reasons to believe there are few consequences for their actions.”

Kerr urged the SNP to stop the “madness” of the early release programme for prisoners, claiming the party has put the interests of offenders ahead of victims.

He continued: “This is what nearly two decades of SNP failure on justice looks like: rising crime, weaker sentences and a justice system that criminals can increasingly take advantage of.

“Scotland deserves better. We need a government that backs victims, backs our police and gets tough on the criminals making our communities less safe.”

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Alev Taylor, chief executive of Rape Crisis Scotland, said the country “continues to let down survivors”, citing “increasing levels of rape and sexual violence, unacceptable wait times in the criminal justice process, and desperately underfunded support”.

She added: “There is a lack of investment in prevention and tackling the root causes of sexual violence, however there is also a failure to address the situation we’re in right now.

“Increasing numbers of survivors are unable to access the support they need when they need it, and this cannot go on any longer.

“As reported sexual offences continue to rise, services which support survivors navigating the criminal justice system are struggling meet the demand.

“Over the past year, 13 out of 19 services across Scotland have been forced to operate waiting lists and at least 1,378 survivors have been forced to wait for the support they need.

“Last week the First Minister pledged his personal leadership to tackle violence against women and girls. It’s time we saw that.”