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Daily Record
7 days ago
- Health
- Daily Record
Sex crime cops 'at breaking point' as one officer left handling 176 cases
Police teams investigating rape and serious sexual assault in Scotland are are being pushed to the brink – with one officer juggling a staggering 176 live cases. Shocking figures reveal just four senior detectives are currently handling 584 ongoing rape and domestic abuse cases in Glasgow alone. It's sparked fury from campaigners who say survivors are being 'devastatingly' let down, while the Scottish Police Federation has warned that frontline officers are 'broken'. The eye-watering caseload has been uncovered through a Freedom of Information request obtained through the 1919 Magazine, exposing the brutal strain on Scotland's sexual offences units. Rape Crisis Scotland Chief executive Sandy Brindley said: 'One officer, no matter how good they are, cannot manage 176 rape investigations properly. "Rape is already a notoriously under-reported crime. For that to change, survivors need to feel able to report what has happened to them to police. This setup falls devastatingly short of offering any of that.' The crisis comes as rape cases across the country have soared by a third over the last decade, with more victims finally feeling able to report what happened to them. But while reports are up, resources haven't followed – and frontline units are buckling under the pressure. Figures show that from April to September last year alone, rape reports rose by almost 20% compared to the same period in 2022. And with an average of six rapes recorded every day in Scotland, campaigners say the justice system is failing to keep pace. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. A police source told 1919 Magazine: 'Around 70 per cent of all High Court trials relate to sexual offences and yet the resources Police Scotland put into investigating rape are a fraction of the overall investigative resources they've got 'It's a massive issue that officers working in sexual offences investigation have been flagging up for years. It is significantly under-resourced." The four detectives leading Glasgow's rape investigations – all detective inspectors – are classed as Senior Investigating Officers. They're expected to oversee every aspect of a case from the moment a report comes in. But with each managing more than 100 cases, and one handling 176 alone, even basic oversight is becoming impossible. Scottish Police Federation boss David Kennedy said the impact is hitting hard: 'The service is breaking them – and some are already broken. We can't continue to have a police service that does more with less. 'We are spinning workloads like spinning plates and that ultimately only ends one way." Police Scotland's Assistant Chief Constable Steve Johnson insisted steps are being taken to address the problem. He said: "The significant increase in reporting of rape and sexual crime indicates a growing confidence in victims to come forward knowing they will be listened to, supported and that their case will be fully investigated. 'Work is ongoing across the organisation to support our vision of policing, which includes strengthening the frontline. 'We are also reviewing the workloads of SIOs nationally to develop an approach which ensures every report receives the best investigation and that SIOs are supported in dealing with the increase in demand. 'Preventing rape and sexual crime is our ultimate goal and we work closely with a range of partners and across communities to tackle violence against women and girls.'
Daily Record
21-04-2025
- Daily Record
Cops launch probe after 'unexplained' death of woman on country road
Emergency services had blocked the road off for several hours on Monday morning. Police have launched an investigation after the death "unexplained" woman on a country road. Cops were called to a rural road in West Lothian on April 21 just before 6am after reports of a death. Officers raced to the scene and blocked off Sibbalds Brae, on the outskirts of Bathgate, after being made aware of the death of a woman, reports Edinburgh Live. It is not thought to be suspicious but a full probe will be carried out. A Police Scotland spokesperson said: 'Around 5.45am on Monday, 21 April, 2025, we were made aware of the death of a woman on Sibbalds Brae, Bathgate. 'The death is being treated as unexplained but not believed to be suspicious and a report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal in due course.' It comes as a probe was launched after a woman was reportedly raped near Glasgow Sheriff Court in the early hours of the morning. The alleged horror sex attack took place at around 3am on Monday April 21 on Carlton Court in the city centre. Police have cordoned off the street and are combing the scene after receiving reports of a serious sexual assault. Images from the scene show the area taped off as uniformed officers stand guard. A Police Scotland spokesperson said: ' Enquiries are ongoing following a report of a serious sexual assault on a woman in Carlton Court, Glasgow around 3am on Monday, 21 April, 2025. Enquiries are at an early stage.' Reports of rape and attempted rape in Scotland have increased by nine per cent in the past year, figures show. Statistics released by the Scottish Government in February show a jump in the number of reports from 2,545 to 2,785 between 2023 and 2024. The figure also increased by 25 per cent between 2020 and 2024, though Scotland was in the depths of lockdown for the majority of 2020. Rape Crisis Scotland said more should be done to help young people understand consent. The increase comes as the total number of sexual crimes recorded in 2024 decreased by two per cent. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Sandy Brindley, chief executive of Rape Crisis Scotland, said: 'This is a significant increase in the number of rapes reported to the police. While some of it may be due to increased confidence, we absolutely can't rule out that more rapes are taking place. 'We urgently need to step up our efforts to ensure all young people in Scotland have access to interventions exploring consent and healthy relationships. Unless we are serious about investing in efforts to prevent rape, we are going to keep seeing reports of rape increasing every year.' The number of non-sexual violent crimes recorded increased by 10 per cent in the most recent year. This was spurred by a 50 per cent spike in the number of reports of domestic abuse offences, which rose from 1,963 to 2,409. You can find support for issues mentioned in this story at Rape Crisis Scotland here.
Daily Record
21-04-2025
- Daily Record
Woman 'raped' near Glasgow Sheriff Court in early hours attack
Images from the scene show the area taped off as uniformed officers stand guard. A probe has been launched after a woman was reportedly raped near Glasgow Sheriff Court in the early hours of the morning. The alleged horror sex attack took place at around 3am on Monday April 21 on Carlton Court in the city centre. Police have cornered off the street and are combing the scene after receiving reports of a serious sexual assault. Images from the scene show the area taped off as uniformed officers stand guard. A Police Scotland spokesperson said: ' Enquiries are ongoing following a report of a serious sexual assault on a woman in Carlton Court, Glasgow around 3am on Monday, 21 April, 2025. 'Enquiries are at an early stage.' Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you. Follow us on Twitter @Daily_Record - the official Daily Record Twitter account - real news in real time. We're also on Facebook - your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day from the Daily Record, Sunday Mail and Record Online. It comes as reports of rape and attempted rape in Scotland have increased by nine per cent in the past year, figures show. Statistics released by the Scottish Government in February show a jump in the number of reports from 2,545 to 2,785 between 2023 and 2024. The figure also increased by 25 per cent between 2020 and 2024, though Scotland was in the depths of lockdown for the majority of 2020. Rape Crisis Scotland said more should be done to help young people understand consent. The increase comes as the total number of sexual crimes recorded in 2024 decreased by two per cent. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Sandy Brindley, chief executive of Rape Crisis Scotland, said: 'This is a significant increase in the number of rapes reported to the police. While some of it may be due to increased confidence, we absolutely can't rule out that more rapes are taking place. 'We urgently need to step up our efforts to ensure all young people in Scotland have access to interventions exploring consent and healthy relationships. Unless we are serious about investing in efforts to prevent rape, we are going to keep seeing reports of rape increasing every year.' The number of non-sexual violent crimes recorded increased by 10 per cent in the most recent year. This was spurred by a 50 per cent spike in the number of reports of domestic abuse offences, which rose from 1,963 to 2,409. You can find support for issues mentioned in this story at Rape Crisis Scotland here.
