Dundee has again topped Scotland’s domestic abuse table of shame – with more than half of attacks reported to police not leading to criminal charges.
The number of attacks has fallen in the city, and across the country as a whole, but official figures show there are still 160 instances per 10,000 of population in Dundee, the worst of any local authority.
The number of incidents recorded by police which “resulted in a crime or offence” was 49% in Dundee, similar to Scotland’s overall 51%.
Claire Baker, Labour’s justice spokeswoman, said: “A drop in incidents is welcome but questions will be asked as to why only half of all incidents result in a crime or offence.
“It is also troubling that half of all incidents involved someone who had previously been a victim or accused, raising concerns about persistent and repeat offenders.”
Angus’s rate was 105 per 10,000 of population, Fife’s 111 and Perth and Kinross’s 81.
The majority of incidents across the country had a female victim and a male accused.
The highest rate of domestic abuse was in the 26 to 30 age group, while 87% of all incidents took place in a home or dwelling.
In more than half of cases either the the victim, the accused or both were already known to police for previous incidents.
Justice Secretary Michael Matheson said: “We welcome the drop in the number of domestic abuse incidents recorded, against a backdrop of an overall fall in recorded crime, and we remain confident that more victims are refusing to stay quiet about what is happening to them.”
