Revenge porn victims will feel 'abandoned,' critics warn as less than half of reported crimes end up in court
And of those that are prosecuted, only a tiny proportion have resulted in a custodial sentence, figures obtained by The Scottish Mail on Sunday show.
In the last full year, just two people were imprisoned for the crime of intimate image abuse, despite there being nearly 800 reports to police.
In 2023-24, there were 781 reports made to Police Scotland regarding suspects threatening to or disclosing intimate images.
In the previous year, the figure was 805 and in the year before that it was 912. However, the number of charges reported to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service for those same years was 215, 228 and 312, respectively.
Of the 215 charges reported in 2023-24 under the Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) 2016 Act, 51 people were convicted, 57 are ongoing, and 20 were marked 'no further action'.
In the same period, four people were admonished – effectively let off with a warning – 34 were given a community payback order, three had to pay compensation, five were fined, one was put under a non-harassment order and two were given a restriction of liberty order. Only one was imprisoned, to add to the single criminal jailed in 2022-23.
The revelation comes as the Revenge Porn Helpline provided support in more than 22,000 cases in 2024 compared with 18,000 in the previous year, following a 20 per cent rise in demand from victims across the UK.
Helpline manager Sophie Mortimer said: 'Our data continuously highlights that intimate image abuse is still one of the most significant and concerning digital harms affecting adults right now.
'The rise in cases, the low levels of conviction and the persistent difficulties and gaps within legislation demonstrate that existing measures are insufficient.'
Scottish Conservative spokeswoman for victims Sharon Dowey said: 'Revenge porn is a horrendous crime.
'It is deeply alarming that such a small number of cases are either being brought to court or ending up with offenders being convicted.
'Victims will rightly feel abandoned and question whether it was worth reporting these crimes.
'It is vital that SNP Ministers heed these damning figures.'
Scotland's procurator fiscal for domestic abuse, Emma Forbes, said: 'Each year between 2021 and 2024, we took action in at least 86 per cent of charges received.
'We take reports of alleged abuse seriously and will take the appropriate prosecutorial action where there is sufficient evidence, and it is in the public interest to do so.' Detective Inspector Alasdair Penny said: 'Police are experiencing an increase in the number of revenge porn-related incidents being reported and are encouraged that people are more confident in coming forward.
'Every report is investigated thoroughly, and we will do all we can to gather available evidence. Where criminality is established, we will find those responsible and bring them to justice.'
A Scottish Government spokesman said: 'The investigation of crime is an independent operational matter for Police Scotland and prosecutions are an independent matter for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.'
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