Fall in number of homicides

There was a 32% fall in the number of homicide cases recorded by the police in Scotland in 2012-13, according to new Government figures. These reveal that there were 62 murders over the last year, down from the 93 murders recorded in 2011-12.

“Homicides are continuing to fall, dropping by almost 50% since 2006/7 and are now at their lowest level for 37 years – the fewest ever on record and the lowest in a generation,” said Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill.

“It remains the case, as in previous years, that victims are mostly male, killed by someone they know, in a house or flat with the accused often under the influence of alcohol or drugs,” he added.

In fact, 76% of all homicide cases occurred within a residential location, 19% in public places outdoors and 5% in public places indoors.

Other statistics revealed by the report, ‘Homicide in Scotland 2012-13’, include:

• Fifty of the victims were male , accounting for 81% of the number of victims recorded.
• In 61 of the 62 homicide cases recorded in 2012-13, one or more accused persons had been identified. The majority (80%) of accused persons were male, with over a third (35%) of all accused being males aged between 21 and 30 years.
• For the 61 victims in solved homicide cases, the relationship of the main accused to the victim was as follows: 56% were acquaintances, 15% were partners or ex-partners and seven percent were relatives. The police were unable to establish the relationship of the main accused to seven (11%) of these 61 victims.
• The alcohol and drug status was known for 51 (61%) of the 83 persons accused of homicide in 2012-13. Of these 51 accused, 71% were reported to have been drunk and/or on drugs at the time the homicide was committed. Of these 51 accused, 15 were reported not to have been under the influence of either alcohol or drugs.

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