HOMICIDE IN SCOTLAND, 2008-09
Scotland's Chief Statistician today published the latest figures on the number of homicides recorded by Scottish Police Forces. There were 99 victims of homicide recorded in 2008-09, 16 fewer than in 2007-08.
Summary information on homicides recorded in 2008-09, as known to the Scottish Government in January 2010, is given below. (The full statistical bulletin Homicide in Scotland is normally published every two years, and will next be published at the end of 2010).
Number of Cases and Victims of Homicide ( Table 1)
In 2008-09, there were 97 cases currently recorded as homicide by the police. These cases resulted in the death of 99 victims, 16 fewer than in 2007-08. The number of homicide victims per million population was 19 in 2008-09, compared with 22 in 2007-08.
Homicide Cases by Police Force Area ( Table 2)
The largest decreases in the number of homicide cases between 2007-08 and 2008-09 were in Lothian & Borders, from 19 in 2007-08 to 7 in 2008-09, and in Strathclyde, from 66 in 2007-08 to 59 in 2008-09. Sixty-one per cent of homicide cases recorded in 2008-09 took place in the Strathclyde Police Force area. In other police force areas the number of homicide cases remained similar to 2007-08 levels, with increases or decreases of 2 or fewer cases.
Sex and Age of Victims ( Table 3 and Chart 1)
The rate of homicides for males, 28 victims per million population, was nearly three times the rate for females, 10 per million population. There were 71 male victims of homicide in 2008-09, 72 per cent of the total. Male victims in the 16 to 30 year age group represented the highest rate with 52 homicides per million population.
Chart 1: Homicide victims per million population, by age and sex, 2008-09
Method of Killing ( Table 4 and Chart 2)
Fifty-seven homicide victims were killed by the use of a sharp instrument in 2008-09. These victims represented over a half (58 per cent) of all homicide victims.
Chart 2: Homicide victims, by method of killing, 2008-09
Relationship of Main Accused to the Victim ( Table 5)
For 96 of the 99 homicide victims in 2008-09, one or more accused persons have been identified. The main accused was known to more than four-fifths of these 96 victims: 19 per cent of victims were presumed to have been killed by a partner or ex-partner; 11 per cent by a relative; and 54 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 16 per cent, a decrease from 20 per cent in 2007-08.
Sex and age of accused ( Table 6)
A total of 132 accused persons had been identified for the homicide cases recorded in 2008-09. As in previous years most (86 per cent) of these were male. Half (50 per cent) of all accused were males aged 16 to 30.
Drink/drugs ( Table 7 and Chart 3)
Forty-one per cent of the total of 132 persons accused in homicide cases in 2008-09 were reported to have been drunk and/or on drugs at the time (30 per cent were drunk, 5 per cent were on drugs and 6 per cent were both drunk and on drugs). Twenty-one accused persons (16 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 57 persons accused (43 per cent).
Chart 3: Drink/drug status of accused, 2008-09
In 2008-09 12 victims (13 per cent of the 96 homicide victims in solved cases) 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.