Homicides in Scotland drop to lowest level since 1976

Knife - Image credit: PA Images

Homicides in Scotland have dropped to their lowest level since 1976.

New figures published by the Scottish Government show that the number of murders and other homicides fell by five per cent from 62 to 59 between from 2016-17 to 2017-18.

This is the joint lowest number of recorded homicide cases for a single twelve month period since 1976, the first year for which comparable data is available.

The number of victims, three-quarters of whom were male, fell by nine per cent, or six people, between 2016-17 and 2017-2018.

The number of homicide cases in Scotland has fallen by 39 per cent, from 97 to 59, in the ten year period between 2008-09 and 2017-18.

The most common method of killing was with a sharp instrument such as a knife, broken bottle or screwdriver.

Commenting on the figures, justice secretary Humza Yousaf said: “While the number of homicides in Scotland has fallen this year and has reduced significantly over the last 10 years, one death is one too many.

“Behind these figures are grieving families and friends and my sincere sympathies go out to all those who have lost a loved one.

“We recognise the enormous trauma experienced by families bereaved by murder and culpable homicide.

“That is why we are currently funding Victim Support Scotland to develop and deliver a bespoke service for these families, ensuring dedicated and continuous support.”

Yousaf said the Scottish Government was “determined to help people break free from cycles of violence”.

He added: “We will continue our efforts to drive down violent crime in our communities, both through education and enforcement, supporting prevention work with people of all ages and ensuring our law enforcement agencies and courts have the resources to deal with those who harm others.”