Question reference: S3W-01823
- Asked by: Aileen Campbell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 2 July 2007
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Current status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 17 July 2007
Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) number and (b) percentage of charges of sexual offences against children which have come to trial have been referred to the sheriff court in each of the last five years.
Answer
The statistics collectedcentrally on prosecutions do not identify victim characteristics unless this isimplied by the specific charge involved. The available information on those sexualoffence categories which by definition involve child victim(s) is given in the followingtable.
Persons ProceededAgainst in Sheriff Courts for Selected Sexual Offences1, 2001-02 to 2005-06
|
| 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 |
| Number | 315 | 237 | 248 | 252 | 257 |
| % of persons proceeded against in all courts for these crimes | 86 | 81 | 83 | 84 | 89 |
Note: 1. Where mainoffence involved included sexual intercourse with girl under 13 to 16, person withcustody or care of girl and causing her seduction, lewd and libidinous practices,grooming of children for the purposes of sexual offences, procuration of sexualservices from children under 18 and procuration of child under 18 for pornography.