Rape rates raise eyebrows

THE former governor of Dumfries Prison is demanding to know how many rapists in the region are being brought to justice.

Linda Dorward, who now serves as a councillor for Lochar after retiring from the prison service, recently spoke out amid an increase in rape crimes in Dumfries and Galloway.

Latest Police Scotland figures show that 45 rapes were recorded in this region within the first six months of 2024/25.

The regularity of attacks equates to a 30 percent increase compared to the five-year average – however the detection rate is less than 50 percent.

Councillor Dorward is now calling for clarity around conviction rates.

Speaking at Dumfries and Galloway Council’s recent police, fire and rescue sub-committee, the Labour Councillor said: “In terms of rape, it’s quite a startling increase.

“We have 22 that have been detected out of 45. Is that right? Why is that such a low rate of detection?

“I think 50 percent is not great.”

She added: “Of those detected, how many actually go to court? Because that isn’t included in the statistics.

“Maybe that could be included when we’re looking at the plan next year: detection rates and those that actually make it to court in terms of being considered by the PF (procurator fiscal).

“It’s not a great thing to see in Scotland – and it’s not just Dumfries and Galloway, it’s across the whole of Scotland.”

Chief Superintendent Steven Meikle attended the committee to present a crime report detailing the statistics, from April 1 to September 30 this year.

He told councillors: “In respect of rape offences, the majority of these reports are non-recent. I don’t say that flippantly, but they are non-recent – which highlights in my view public confidence in reporting this type of crime to ourselves.

“We’re hearing from our third sector colleagues in Rape Crisis and Women’s Aid that victims do feel they are believed when they’re spoken to by police and we continue to see positive feedback about our specialist officers deployed to these crimes.

“It should also be acknowledged that there’s a high percentage of reports to police that are made by victims that are known to the perpetrator, and the crimes have occurred within a domestic setting.

“The five-year detection rate for crimes of rape in Dumfries and Galloway is 65 percent, which I anticipate will rise as inquiries conclude.

“To put that into context, last year 88 percent of crimes of rape in this region were detected, which was the highest in Scotland.

“And the reason for that kind of lag or delay in the detection rates is simply due to the amount of inquiry that’s required to be undertaken by the officers and the Public Protection Unit.

Mr Meikle added that police don’t routinely record conviction rates at the end of the justice process, but will take Councillor Dorward’s comments on board when for their local policing plan in March next year.