The number of people convicted of sex crimes in Scotland reached a record level last year. A total of 1,156 people were successfully prosecuted in 2015-16, up slightly from the previous year.
After four consecutive annual increases, the figure is now more than 50 per cent higher than five years ago.
Domestic abuse cases have followed a similar pattern, rising from 8,566 in 2010-11 to 12,374 last year.
Experts said the raised profile of sex crimes and greater efforts by police to prosecute offenders had driven the increase in convictions.
Oona Brooks, a lecturer in criminology at the University of Glasgow, claimed that domestic abuse and sexual offences had been bucking a downward trend. “It’s unlikely that what we are seeing is actually a rise in rape and in incidents of domestic abuse,” she said. “It’s more likely that what we are seeing is more people coming forward.
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“There have been several high profile cases that have prompted people to come forward. We have also seen a greater prioritisation of sexual offences and domestic abuse by Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.
“They have implemented a range of measures around those offences and we are starting to see the effect of that.”
Michael Matheson, the Justice Secretary, said: “Sexual offences are often the most complex to prosecute, so it is encouraging that as more people come forward to report crimes, the police and the Crown are securing convictions.”