Sex crimes on the increase after lockdown

The number of sex crimes reported in Scotland rose to a six-year high as Covid lockdown restrictions eased, it was revealed today.

Police said the number of reported rapes increased by more than a third, to 631 between April and June, compared with the same period last year.

A total of 3,720 sexual crimes, both recent and non-recent, were recorded in the first quarter, a near 25% increase.

Cases where there was enough evidence to consider criminal proceedings rose by nearly a third to 2,171.

Det Supt Fil Capaldi, head of Police Scotland's sexual crime unit, said: "These are significant increases and we can draw a direct correlation between reporting and lockdown restrictions.

"Over the course of the pandemic, we saw an initial reduction in reporting which we anticipated might be the case as people were locked down at home.

"But reporting increased incrementally with the easing of restrictions."