Killings in Scotland halved in last 20 years as deaths hit record low
All murders were solved by Police last year
Last updated 31st Oct 2023
Killings in Scotland have halved over the past 20 years as deaths from homicide fell last year to the lowest total since records began.
They’ve gone down from 109 in 2003-04 to 52 last year – one lower than the year before - and the biggest reduction in victims over the last 20 years has been among young people aged between 16 and 24.
A total of 126 young people were homicide victims in the five years between 2003-04 and 2007-08 - but this dropped to 24 for the five years between 2018-19 to 2022-23.
All cases of homicide – which includes culpable homicide as well as murder – were solved last year but Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Livingstone, head of major crime at Police Scotland, says that doesn’t make it any easier for victims’ families.
He said: "Every murder is a tragedy for individuals, families and local communities. Our dedicated murder investigators bring a high level of professional practice, compassion, competence and commitment to each investigation.
"As a single national service we are able to bring a consistent approach, working with partners, to every investigation.
"We hope this commitment gives the public confidence in their police service."
He added: "The pursuit of justice, regardless of the passage of time, is a core duty of policing and central to public confidence and police legitimacy.
"We apply the same level of commitment and professionalism to unresolved cases from the past, to provide answers and justice for families, even after decades."
Three-quarters of victims last year were men and more than half were killed by an acquaintance. Almost half of women who died were killed by their partner or an ex-partner, with six of the 13 female victims suffering this fate.
In each of the last 20 years the most common method of killing in homicides has been the use of a sharp object - such as a knife, broken bottle, sword or sharpened screwdriver.
Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: "Every life lost to homicide is a tragedy and my condolences go out to anyone who has lost a loved one in this way."
She added: "These figures show there are fewer such tragedies with the number of homicides falling to this new record low.
"Coupled with the fact that recorded crime in Scotland remains at one of the lowest levels in the past 50 years, it shows that our communities continue to be safe places to live."
While she welcomed the "continued decrease in homicides", Ms Constance said more needed to be done to "prevent violence and reduce harm", stressing the importance of efforts to divert people away from violence.
She added that the domestic homicide review taskforce was also helping organisations to "learn lessons following a death and better identify and respond effectively to the risks associated with abuse, to help prevent further deaths".
The Justice Secretary also said: "We remain committed to working closely with both the Scottish Police Authority and Police Scotland to support the delivery of the Joint Policing Strategy to ensure together we continue to have a safe, protected and resilient Scotland."