Zero tolerance of domestic abuse is let down by zero sentencing

In today's debate on Violence Against Women in the Scottish Parliament, Scottish Conservative Justice Spokesman David McLetchie has highlighted the tiny percentage of reported cases that result in a prison sentence.

Over 50,000 incidents of domestic abuse were reported last year and yet less than 2% of them resulted in a custodial sentence.

David McLetchie MSP said:

"Last year over 50,000 incidents of domestic abuse were reported to the police, yet only 17% of these lead to convictions, and less than 2% lead to a custodial sentence. It is disgraceful that so few cases result in prison sentences and many of their perpetrators are given short term sentences which the Scottish Government is trying to abolish.

"Zero tolerance of domestic abuse is let down by zero sentencing. Many women will look to this Parliament and ask if we are really treating violence against women seriously when the perpetrators of violence are let off so lightly?

"It is wrong that we have women trapped in a vicious cycle of abuse who are given no assistance by a criminal justice system which puts their abusers back in their homes. If we are to restore confidence in the system we must start by properly punishing those who carry out such attacks.

In 2009/10 there were 51,926 incidents of domestic abuse recorded by police:

- In around 20,000 cases nothing happened, with no recording of a crime or an offence

- Of the 32,066 which were recorded only 21,660 were reported to the Procurator Fiscal

- Proceedings were only initiated in 10,259 of these cases meaning 80% of the original recorded crimes have been written off

- 8,837 convictions arose from the prosecutions, only 17% of the originally recorded crime

- In only 949 cases was a custodial sentence imposed, which is less than 2% of the number of incidents originally reported

Back to all posts