Responding to the latest National Statistics: Recorded Crime in Scotland bulletin for the year ending June 2022, Will Linden, deputy director of the SVRU, said:

“The latest figures show Scotland has seen measures of some of the most serious forms of violence significantly reducing with murder and culpable homicide down 23% and serious assault and attempted murder down 11% from June 2018*. According to the Scottish Crime & Justice Survey 2019-20** adults in Scotland are feeling safer to walk our physical streets. However the world online has become a more treacherous place. Increasing levels of online extortion and threats are captured within Scotland’s violence figures. The virtual world can be a dangerous place and we need to learn to be on our guard whenever we log on. Every act of violence no matter where it happens can have devastating consequences. The long-term continuing increase in sexual crimes should concern us all and survivors must feel confident to come forward no matter when the offence took place.”

Notes to Editors:

*Serious assaults and attempted murder increased by 4% compared to June 2021 but decreased by 11% from the year ending June 2018.

** www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-crime-justice-survey-2019-20-main-findings/