Killings up in Scotland in last year as official homicide stats released

Police Scotland officers.
-Credit: (Image: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire.)


The number of people killed in Scotland over the last year has risen, with official statistics revealing deaths have gone up by 10 per cent in the last 12 months. In the period from 2023-24, there were 57 homicide victims, which is five more victims, and a rise of 10 per cent, from the 52 victims in 2022-23.

Knife and other sharp weapon attacks are the most common death method, with 49 per cent of people - 28 of the 57 homicide victims - losing their lives that way. There were 44 male victims, with 28 of them, which is 64%, being killed by someone they knew, while women were most likely to be killed by an ex-partner or partner.

Five of the 13 female victims in 2023-2024 were the victims of homicide at the hands of a partner or former partner. Most homicides have one victim and one killer.

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A young woman suffering from domestic violence.
A young woman suffering from domestic violence. -Credit:Getty.

The statistics released by Scotland's Chief Statistician today, in the Homicide in Scotland, 2023-24 report, show the figures on homicides as recorded by Police Scotland for the period from 2023 to 2024. But when comparing individual years over the last decade, homicides fell by the same percentage. In 2014-15, there were 63 homicides.

And the 57 in 2023-24 means a drop of six victims between the two years, which is also a 10 per cent drop. There was also a massive drop in the figures over the last 290 years.

In 2004-2005, 137 people were killed in Scotland. But the plummet to 57 in 2024 equates to a whopping 58% fewer homicides, meaning 80 less victims.

The report shows the greatest reduction in homicide victims over the last 20 years was amongst people aged between 16 and 24. In the five years between 2004-05 to 2008-09 there were 125 victims in this age range.

But that dropped to 29 across the latest five years between 2019-20 to 2023-24. Of the 57 victims recorded in 2023-24, 77% (44) were male and 23% (13) were female.

In 2023-24, 85 persons were accused of homicide. Of them, 69, which is 81%, were male and 16, 19%, were female. For all the 57 homicide victims recorded in 2023-24, the associated case was solved. Police Scotland was approached for comment.

Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: "Scotland continues to be a safe place to live and I am encouraged that recorded homicides remain at a near record low, falling by 53% since 2006-07.

"However one homicide victim is one too many, with the consequences devastating for their loved ones and communities." Ms Constance said tackling all forms of violent crime is a "top priority" for the Scottish Government.

She added: "That is why through our Violence Prevention Framework, we are taking forward a range of activities to prevent violence, supported by over £2 million investment, in addition to our record police funding of £1.55 billion this year – an increase of £92.7 million. This has enabled Police Scotland to take on more recruits this year than at any time since 2013 and they have stated that current officer numbers are about 16,400.

"We also introduced the Criminal Justice Modernisation and Abusive Domestic Behaviour Reviews (Scotland) Bill in September 2024 to create a statutory framework for Scotland’s first national multi-agency domestic homicide and suicide review model."

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