Question reference: S6W-14245
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 23 January 2023
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Current status: Answered by Keith Brown on 30 January 2023
Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many prosecutions of alleged perpetrators of modern slavery there have been in each of the last 10 years.
Answer
In terms of Criminal Proceedings statistics, there is no single crime of 'modern slavery'. However multiple types of crime involve, or can involve, 'slavery'. A list of these is provided below. Further information on slavery related activity is also available from the Anti-Slavery Commissioner, within their Annual Report .
- Slavery or forced labour
- Human organ offences
- Immoral traffic
- Procuration (excluding homosexual offences)
- Procuration (homosexual offences)
- Breach of trafficking and exploitation order
Most of these crime types fall under the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015. This came into effect on 31 May 2016. Prior to the 2015 Act, there were a number of offences under which crimes of modern slavery could be prosecuted.
The latest available information on the number of people prosecuted for modern slavery related crimes, since 2011-12, is provided in the following table.
Number of people prosecuted for modern slavery related crimes (where main crime) in Scottish courts, 2011-12 to 2020-21.
2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | ||
Immoral traffic | CRIMINAL JUSTICE (SCOTLAND) ACT 2003 SECTION 22(1)(A)(I) | 4 | - | 1 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
CRIMINAL JUSTICE (SCOTLAND)ACT 2003 SECTION 22(1)(A)(I)&(II) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | |
CRIMINAL LAW (CONSOLIDATION) (SCOTLAND) ACT 1995 SECTION 11(1)(A) | - | - | 1 | - | 1 | - | 2 | 1 | - | - | |
HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND EXPLOITATION (SCOTLAND) ACT 2015 SECTION 1(1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | - | |
Procuration (excluding homosexual acts) | CRIMINAL LAW (CONSOLIDATION) (SCOTLAND) ACT 1995 SECTION 7(1)(B) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - |
Procuration of homosexual acts | CRIMINAL LAW (CONSOLIDATION) (SCOTLAND) ACT 1995 SECTION 13(4) & 5(C) | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Slavery or Forced Labour | HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND EXPLOITATION (SCOTLAND) ACT 2015 SECTION 1(1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | 1 |
HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND EXPLOITATION (SCOTLAND) ACT 2015 SECTION 4(1)(B) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | - |
Source: Scottish Government Criminal Proceedings database
Please note: Information for 2021-22 will not be available until publication of the Criminal Proceedings in Scotland, 2021-22 Statistical Bulletin. This is due to be published in Spring 2023.