SEXUAL crimes rose by seven per cent in the year to June, according to the latest official figures, despite an overall fall in offences generally.

Sexual assaults jumped by a fifth in the year, although rape and attempted rape were down 1%.

According to new rolling quarterly data, Police Scotland recorded 285,974 crimes in the 12 months to June, down from 300,747 crimes during the previous 12 months.

This was driven by a fall in crimes under Covid-related legislation, which all but vanished, falling from 20,156 to just 96.

All other recorded crimes increased collectively by 2% over the year to June, but remain lower than pre-pandemic levels in the year to June 2018.

The Scottish Government highlighted overall crime being at its lowest recorded level for a 12-month period since 1974.

The Recorded Crime in Scotland report said non-sexual crimes of violence and crimes of dishonesty were both 9% higher over the year.

However antisocial offences were 2% lower than the previous year and 14% lower compared to the year before June 2018.

Sexual assault increased by 20% compared to the previous year, from 4,687 to 5,495 crimes, and by 6% compared to the year ending June 2018.

Rape and attempted rape decreased by 1% over the year to June, from 2,477 to 2,455 crimes, but were 10% higher than in the year ending June 2018.

Revenge porn offences showed a huge increase over the pandemic period.

Threatening or disclosing intimate images increased by 9% in the year to June, from 801 to 870, and were up 64% from the 532 recorded crimes in the year to June 2018.

Non-sexual crimes of violence were 9% higher compared to the year ending June 2021, up from 64,080 to 70,156, and 5% higher compared to the year ending June 2018.

Crimes of dishonesty were up 9% compared to the year ending June 2021, from 89,259 to 97,207, but 15% lower compared to the year ending June 2018.

Damage and reckless behaviour was less than 1% higher compared to the year ending June 2021, up from 44,293 to 44,455, but 12% lower compared to the year ending June 2018.

The total number of offences recorded by the police in Scotland in the year to June was 176,960, or 7% lower than the 189,677 offences recorded in the year ending June 2021, and 10% lower than the 196,848 offences recorded in the year ending June 2018.

SNP Justice Secretary Keith Brown said: “We know that Scotland continues to be a safe place to live, where the vast majority of people do not experience crime.

“The latest figures today show recorded crime is at the lowest level seen since 1974, and down 43% since 2006-07. This is welcome as it means that every year there are thousands fewer victims in Scotland than there were 15 years ago.

“But there is more to be done. Continuing to reduce crime and the harm it causes both individuals and our society as a whole is central to our ambitious vision to reform our justice system.

“Where crime does occur we have made £48 million available to organisations that support victims over the next three years, a move that underlines our absolute commitment to putting victims very firmly at the centre of the justice system.

“We have invested over £24 million to specifically target violence reduction since 2008 and will highlight our priorities to tackle violence when we publish the first ever national Violence Prevention Framework later this year.

“While the police cleared up more sexual crimes in 2021-22 than ever before, like many other countries Scotland continues to see growth in reported cases. Multiple factors lie behind the increase including a greater willingness of victims to come forward, more historical reporting, more online offending and the impact of new legislation.

“We also remain absolutely committed to supporting our hard working police officers as recruitment bounces back from the COVID period and the necessary closure of the Tulliallan training college to ensure the safe policing of the COP26 climate summit.”

Scottish Tory party chairman and MSP Craig Hoy, said: “These troubling statistics confirm that violent and sexual crime continues to soar alarmingly under the SNP Government.

“They are presiding over a crime wave caused by their disastrous management of the justice system, which has led to record numbers of police retirements, criminals being wrongly released and court backlogs causing delays for victims seeking justice.

“Despite this, the SNP are set to make things even worse by slashing the future justice budget still further, meaning more criminals getting away with their crimes as there aren’t the resources to catch them.

“Keeping the public safe should be a top priority for the SNP Government, but these startling statistics make clear it is not.”

Scottish Labour MSP Pauline McNeill said: “This terrifying leap in violent crime calls for urgent action, but instead the SNP are patting themselves on the back for a job well done.

“This stunning complacency is a gross insult to victims and shows they don’t grasp the scale of the challenge we face.

“We need a real plan to keep our communities safe and prevent violent and sexual crimes, but instead the SNP spin machine is in overdrive as they plough ahead with their dangerous plans to inflict real terms cuts to policing budgets.”

Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur said: "Violent and sexual crime rates remain at some of the highest levels we have seen.  

“Rather than focusing on addressing this, however, the SNP spin machine has gone into overdrive. Meantime planned SNP cuts to police and court budgets risk hamstringing investigations and undermining prosecutions.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats would invest the justice system to deal with backlogs, bring down these alarming figures and build public confidence.”