by Bill Heaney
Scottish Labour has warned that victims of domestic abuse are being “let down” as a result of the pressures on Scotland’s justice system.
Figures published this week revealed that in 2024-25, the number of domestic abuse incidents recorded by the police rose for the second year in a row.
New analysis by Scottish Labour has now revealed that waits for justice in domestic abuse cases are increasing, and the police clear-up rate for these crimes is falling.
Domestic abuse victims are waiting longer for justice, with the average wait between a domestic abuse offence being committed and a verdict being reached rising to a staggering 632 days in 2024-25.
The average wait is now more than five times longer than it was in 2019-20, and one in 10 cases now takes more than five years to conclude.
The clear-up rate for domestic abuse also fell over the last year, with more than three in 10 cases not cleared up in 2024-25.
Scottish Labour Justice spokesperson Pauline McNeill, right, said: “Domestic abuse is on the rise, but women are being let down by a justice system that cannot cope.
“Fewer cases are being cleared up by our overstretched police service, while delays in courts mean domestic abuse victims are being left in limbo for months and years on end.
“Violence against women is reaching a crisis point, and we need a justice system that can confront this issue.
“The SNP must support frontline policing, tackle the backlog in our courts, and tackle violence and misogyny right across society.”