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Scotland's Chief Statistician today published the latest figures on the number of homicides recorded by Scottish Police Forces. There were 114 victims of homicide recorded in 2007-08, 5 fewer than in 2006-07.
Summary information on homicides recorded in 2007-08, as known to the Scottish Government on 28 November 2008, is given below. (The full statistical bulletin Homicide in Scotland is published every two years and will next be published at the end of 2009).
Number of Cases and Victims of Homicide ( Table 1)
In 2007-08, there were 114 cases currently recorded as homicide by the police. These cases resulted in the death of 114 victims, 5 fewer than in 2006-07. The number of homicide victims per million population was 22 in 2007-08, compared with 23 in 2006-07.
Homicide Cases by Police Force Area ( Table 2)
The largest decrease in the number of homicide cases between 2006-07 and 2007-08 was in Strathclyde, from 76 in 2006-07 to 66 in 2007-08. Fifty-eight per cent of homicide cases recorded in 2007-08 took place in the Strathclyde Police Force area. In other police force areas the number of homicide cases remained similar to 2006-07 levels, with increases or decreases of 3 or fewer cases.
Sex and Age of Victims ( Table 3 and Chart 1)
The rate of homicides for males - 36 victims per million population - was four times the rate for females - 9 per million population. There were 90 male victims of homicide in 2007-08, 79 per cent of the total. Male victims in the 16 to 30 year age group represented the highest rate with 64 homicides per million population.
Chart 1: Homicide victims per million population, by age and sex, 2007-08
Method of Killing ( Table 4 and Chart 2)
Fifty-five homicide victims were killed by the use of a sharp instrument in 2007-08. These victims represented nearly a half (48 per cent) of all homicide victims.
Chart 2: Homicide victims, by method of killing, 2007-08
Relationship of Main Accused to the Victim ( Table 5)
For 111 of the 114 homicide victims in 2007-08, one or more accused persons have been identified. The main accused was known to four-fifths of these victims: 20 per cent of victims were presumed to have been killed by a partner or ex-partner; 8 per cent by a relative; and 52 per cent by an acquaintance. The proportion of victims who were killed by a stranger or where the relationship between the victim and accused was unknown, was 20 per cent, a decrease from 27 per cent in 2006-07.
Sex and age of accused ( Table 6)
A total of 148 accused persons had been identified for the homicide cases recorded in 2007-08. As in previous years most (88 per cent) of these were male. Nearly half (47 per cent) of all accused were males aged 16 to 30.
Drink/drugs ( Table 7 and Chart 3)
Forty-five per cent of the total of 148 persons accused in homicide cases in 2007-08 were reported to have been drunk or on drugs at the time (22 per cent were drunk, 9 per cent were on drugs and 14 per cent were both drunk and on drugs). Nineteen accused persons (13 per cent) were reported not to have been under the influence of drink or drugs. The drink/drug status was not known for the remaining 62 persons accused (42 per cent).
Chart 3: Drink/drug status of accused, 2007-08
In 2007-08 17 victims (15 per cent of all homicide victims) were reported to have been killed in a drug related homicide, i.e. a homicide motivated by the need to obtain drugs (or money for drugs), homicide of a supplier or consumer of drugs in order to steal proceeds of drug trade or homicide as a consequence of rivalry within the trade/between users or dealers.
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