As COVID-19 lockdown restrictions eased, the number of reported sex crimes in Scotland climbed up to a six-year high. The police said that the number of reported rapes increased by more than a third as compared with the same period last year. According to a BBC report, 3,720 sexual crimes were registered in the first quarter – this is a near 25% increase. The total reported crime includes both recent and non-recent.

The report further added that cases with criminal intent rose to 2,171. Detective sergeant Fil Capaldi, who is the 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,” he added.

Scotland’s first lockdown was unveiled by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in February end. And the gradual easing in the lockdown had an impact on the statistics.

Capaldi further added that the ease of restrictions has allowed people to come out and report, keeping in mind that they might have been living with their abuser.

“There are a number of other influencing factors at play, particularly the national conversation around violence against women and girls, and high-profile reporting of rape and serious sexual crime,” Capaldi added.

“These may have encouraged people to come forward and report what had happened to them. As social interaction increases, particularly with the night-time economy, pubs and bars, opening up again, we expect to see a further rise in contact offending,” Detective Sargeant added.

However, Capaldi said that rape and serious sexual crime still remained “vastly under-reported”.

Talking about the rise in numbers, Sandy Brindley from Rape Crisis Scotland told BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland programme: “It’s a worrying and significant increase.”

“When these figures come out it is difficult to tell whether there have been more incidents of rape or whether more have been reported,” she added.

“They were talking to us from cupboards, going into cars to try and phone us, whether it was because they were living with the person who was raping them or they didn’t want their partner or family to know what had happened to them,” Sandy said.