45% of common assaults were passed to Procurator Fiscal – figures

Less than half of assaults reported last year resulted in a criminal charge being passed to the Procurator Fiscal, figures by the Scottish Liberal Democrats show.

Figures showed that 57,708 cases of common assault, where violence is inflicted or makes them think they are going to be attacked, were recorded by police in 2022/23.

However a freedom of information request by the Lib Dems revealed just 26,236, or 45%, resulted in a criminal charge being reported to the Procurator Fiscal, who assesses evidence before deciding whether to take the case to court.

Further data showed 19,041 of the crimes reported, 33%, were prosecuted.

It comes as Police Scotland announced in September that crimes where there is no “treat, risk, harm or vulnerability” will not be investigated as part of a new pilot in the north east of Scotland, with budget constraints cited as a reason for the initiative.

Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur has urged the Scottish Government to protect the justice budget amid the “mounting pressure” on the police force.

The party’s justice spokesman said: “The public will be understandably worried that so few violent crimes resulted in a criminal charge being brought to the Procurator Fiscal, and that even fewer led to prosecution.

“Scotland’s justice system is under a mountain of pressure, a situation made no easier by successive SNP Governments failing to give it the necessary support.

“The SNP’s repeated squeeze on the justice budget is forcing Police Scotland to make tough decisions that will impact on community safety, with police chiefs warning about the harsh realities of falling officer numbers.

“Ministers must do everything they can to cut crime and ensure that cases progress effectively through the system.

“To achieve this, the Scottish Government must protect the justice budget and enhance community policing, enabling officers to be both trusted and visible, and equipped with the resources they need to do their jobs.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “We are investing almost £3.4 billion across the justice system in 2023-24, a 5.8% increase on last year.

“Over £1.4 billion of that has been allocated to policing. There are over 350 more officers than in 2007 and Scotland continues to have more police officers per capita than England and Wales.”

A spokesperson for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said: “COPFS will give careful consideration to any reports of alleged criminal conduct which are submitted by the police.

“Prosecutorial action will be taken if the reports contain sufficient admissible evidence of a crime and if it is appropriate and in the public interest to do so.”