Question reference: S4W-00127
- Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
- Date lodged: 18 May 2011
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Current status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 2 June 2011
Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions there have been and how many cautions have been issued for the offence of controlling a child providing sexual services or involved in pornography under the Protection of Children and Prevention of Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2005 in each police board area in each year since 2005.
Answer
There have been no persons recorded on the Scottish Government court proceedings database as being prosecuted for offences under the Protection of Children and Prevention of Sexual Offences (Scotland) 2005 section 11 where this was the main offence. Formal police cautions do not apply in Scotland.
Court proceedings data held by the Scottish Government shows only the main offence for which an offender is convicted. Where an accused is convicted of, for example, the “grooming” offence and an offence of lewd and libidinous conduct, the conviction for the grooming offence would not appear on the court proceedings data (and indeed, the prosecutor may not necessarily charge the “lesser” offence).