Recorded rape statistics: FOI release

Information requested

1) Since 2019 to date (inclusive), the number of recorded rapes with alleged victims under the age of 18.

2) Since 2019 to date (inclusive), the number of detected rapes with alleged victims under the age of 18.

3) Since 2019 to date (inclusive), the ethnicity breakdown of suspects of detected rapes with alleged victims under the age of 18. Please provide this as either a figure (e.g. White British: 1), or as a percentage figure of the total (e.g. White British: 80%).

4) Since 2019 to date (inclusive), the ethnicity breakdown of charged individuals of detected rapes with alleged victims under the age of 18. Please provide this as either a figure (e.g. White British: 1), or as a percentage figure of the total (e.g. White British: 80%).

5) Since 2019 to date (inclusive), the number of rape charges/indictments with alleged victims under the age of 18 issued by the COPFS.

6) Since 2019 to date (inclusive), the breakdown of convictions, acquittals, and/or other disposals of those charged with rape with victims under the age of 18.

Response

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested.

Table 1: Number of recorded rapes of children, Scotland, calendar years 2019 to 2024

Crimes	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Rape of older male child (13-15 years)	19	18	13	24	18	6
Rape of older female child (13-15 years)	273	216	290	283	264	218
Rape of young male child (Under 13)	44	47	30	24	49	22
Rape of young female child (Under 13)	116	99	135	134	128	86

Please note that data for 2024 in Table 1 includes data from 1st January 2024 up to and including 30th September 2024. Data from 1st October 2024 up to and including 31st December 2024 will be available in February 2025 after publication of Recorded Crime in Scotland: year ending December 2024.

Table 2: Number of detected rapes of children, Scotland, calendar years 2019 to 2024

Crimes	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Rape of older male child (13-15 years)	8	13	10	15	7	8
Rape of older female child (13-15 years)	147	155	147	179	149	124
Rape of young male child (Under 13)	25	30	17	11	24	11
Rape of young female child (Under 13)	54	60	66	66	62	50

Table 3: Percentage of detected rapes of children, Scotland, calendar years 2019 to 2024

Crimes	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Rape of older male child (13-15 years)	42.1%	72.2%	76.9%	62.5%	38.9%	133.3%
Rape of older female child (13-15 years)	53.8%	71.8%	50.7%	63.3%	56.4%	56.9%
Rape of young male child (Under 13)	56.8%	63.8%	56.7%	45.8%	49.0%	50.0%
Rape of young female child (Under 13)	46.6%	60.6%	48.9%	49.3%	48.4%	58.1%

Please note that data for 2024 in Tables 2 and 3 includes data from 1st January 2024 up to and including 30th September 2024. Data from 1st October 2024 up to and including 31st March 2025 will be available in June 2025 after publication of Recorded Crime in Scotland, 2024-25.

A crime or offence is regarded as cleared up/detected where there exists a sufficiency of evidence under Scots law to justify consideration of criminal proceedings notwithstanding that a report is not submitted to the procurator fiscal because either:

(i) by standing agreement with the procurator fiscal, the police warn the accused due to the minor nature of the offence, or
(ii) reporting is inappropriate due to the non-age of the accused, death of the accused or other similar circumstances.

Clear up rates presented are rounded to one decimal place. Because crimes or offences may be cleared up in a different year than they were recorded, rates in excess of 100% can arise.

Please note that historical crimes of Rape committed prior to December 2010 but recorded afterwards are recorded under crime code 14000 which does not include an age specification, therefore there may be crimes recorded under this code in the time period specified where the victim was under 18 that are not included in the tables above.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested. Specifically, Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services do not possess the data pertaining to the number of recorded rapes with alleged victims over the age of 15 but under the age of 18, the number of detected rapes with alleged victims over the age of 15 but under the age of 18, the ethnicity of suspects of detected rapes, the ethnicity of charged individuals of detected rapes, the number of rape charges/indictments with alleged victims under the age of 18 issued by the COPFS or the breakdown of convictions, acquittals, and/or other disposals of those charged with rape with victims under the age of 18. We have been in touch with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service who confirmed that they will respond to your requests numbered four and five separately in response to your FOI submitted to them.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

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