McArthur comments on rising cases of domestic abuse

Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP has today called on the SNP government to take steps to cut rates of domestic abuse after the number of incidents recorded by the police rose to some of the highest levels on record.

Scottish Government statistics on domestic abuse for 2023/24 show that:

• Police Scotland recorded 63,867 incidents of domestic abuse in 2023/24 - an increase of 3% compared to the previous year and the third highest level on record.
• Almost three quarters of local authorities recorded an increase in the incidents of domestic abuse reported.
• Around two thirds of incidents involved a victim and suspected perpetrator who had previously been recorded in a domestic abuse incident.

Mr McArthur said:

“These figures suggest that domestic abuse is devastatingly prevalent across society.

“The rise in cases will partly reflect the increased willingness of survivors to come forward, but the true scale of this crime is difficult to measure because a large proportion of cases still go unreported.

"A key priority has to be giving the police the resources they need to keep people safe and the training to ensure every victim of domestic abuse feels comfortable coming forward.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats also want to see the government acting on our calls for a ‘Destitution Fund’ to help everyone experiencing domestic abuse leave and regain control over their futures.

“A fund like this could give people the confidence they need to leave abusive relationships, allowing them a route out of the crisis.”