THE number of cases of domestic rape reported to police almost doubled in the last year, according to figures.
Chief Constable Sir Stephen House said that 357 cases were reported in 2013-14, up from 197 the previous year. The numbers were released as Police Scotland prepares to launch a festive crackdown on domestic abuse, with about a fifth of police time said to be taken up with domestic incidents.
A total of 58,976 domestic incidents were reported last year. Sir Stephen also reported that the number of domestic stalking cases has increased, from 367 in 2012-13 to 569 in the last year.
The increase was attributed to a growing confidence among victims that they will be given proper support but the numbers are believed to be only "the tip of the iceberg". Speaking at a domestic violence conference in Edinburgh, Sir Stephen said: "No-one should underestimate the scale of this issue. More than 20 per cent of all police operational time is spent dealing with domestic incidents.
"On average, a domestic incident is reported somewhere in Scotland every nine minutes, which means that what I expect and what I get from our police officers who attend these incidents is an understanding that domestic abuse is a high priority for them.The significant increase in the numbers of people coming forward to report these crimes is encouraging as it shows more and more are confident in the support they will receive, but I believe these figures will be the tip of the iceberg."
Figures released by Police Scotland earlier this year showed the total number of reported rapes in the first year of the single Scottish force increased by a quarter while sexual assaults have risen by a tenth. There were 1,690 reported rapes in 2013/14, up from 1,372 the year before, while reported sexual assaults - including rape - rose 11 per cent to 8,604 from 7,693.
Sir Stephen said extra police would be on patrol over the festive period to send "a clear message that there is no hiding place - if you do it, we will find you."
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