High-harm domestic abusers sentenced to nearly 230 years in prison
Thirty-two high harm and serial domestic abusers were sentenced to a total of more than 228 years in prison during 2025 – with one receiving 17 years.
They were convicted of 240 offences following proactive investigations by Police Scotland’s Domestic Abuse Task Force.
All the crimes were committed against women and children – involving 110 victims - and included rape, sexual assault, stalking, permanent disfigurement, danger to life, threats against pets and a range under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act.
Latest figures show that Police Scotland officers respond to a domestic abuse call every eight minutes. From October 2024 through to September 2025, more than 66,000 incidents were reported, of which 40.3 per cent resulted in a crime being recorded.
Police Scotland’s performance report for Q2 2025/26 (April to September) shows domestic abuse crimes increased by 10 percent in Scotland over the last 12 months, while detections rates increased by nearly eight per cent.
Assistant Chief Constable Steve Johnson, executive lead for Major Crime, Public Protection, and Local Crime, said:
“Our officers are determined to ensure women and girls live free from violence and abuse. We are relentless in our focus on tackling domestic abuse. It will not be tolerated, and perpetrators will be held accountable.
“We tackle violence against women and girls every day of the year, preventing harm and bringing offenders to justice. We don’t do this alone but work with partners to identify and address the societal issues at the root of gender-based violence, so that we can stop abusive behaviour before it begins.
“No-one should have to experience abuse. We are committed to supporting all victim-survivors, protecting them, and investigating every report of domestic abuse so they can come forward with confidence. Help is available, and you don’t have to face this alone.
“As we look ahead to 2026, our message to offenders remains the same. If you continue to abuse and exhibit abusive behaviour, you will be caught and anyone who continues to abuse will face the full force of the law.”
Police Scotland maintains year-round action against domestic abuse. 16 Days of Activism is an annual initiative focussed on eliminating gender-based violence and takes place globally between 25 November and 10 December. During this period in 2025, Police Scotland arrested 500 perpetrators of domestic abuse and charged more than 380. These figures provide a snapshot of the volume of offending being tackled by Police Scotland’s officers throughout the year.