Five domestic abusers sentenced to 61 years in prison

Five serial domestic abusers have been sentenced to a total of 61 years in prison in the past two months, following investigations by Police Scotland’s Domestic Abuse Taskforce (DATF).

Proactive investigation by the DATF uncovered offending that in some cases spanned decades and included sexual offences and physical assaults as well as offending covered by the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 (DASA).

During 2021/22, the DATF, which investigates the more complex, high tariff domestic abuse cases, carried out over 200 investigations. As well as custodial sentences, Orders of Lifelong Restriction (OLR) and Non- Harassment Orders (NHOs) were imposed on offenders.

In 2021/22, Police Scotland officers responded to 63,093 calls about domestic abuse, 43% of which resulted in a crime being recorded.  Of those, 1,760 crimes were recorded under DASA.

Over the same period, there was a 12.4% increase in applications to the Disclosure Scheme for Domestic Abuse in Scotland (DSDAS). This includes a 30% increase in Right to Ask applications, where people can ask whether their current partner has a history of abuse.

Detective Chief Superintendent Sam Faulds, Head of Public Protection, Police Scotland, said: “Domestic abuse remains a significant priority for Police Scotland. We take a call every nine minutes on average and our officers are highly trained to respond professionally and effectively.

“Domestic abuse takes many forms. It can be physical and sexual but also psychological, emotional and financial. An abuser’s intent is to control and coerce their victim.

“Every case is traumatic for the victim, the effects are long-lasting for them and for their families, and especially so for children. No child should have to witness to domestic abuse.

“Preventing domestic abuse is our ultimate aim. We work closely with our partners, not only to improve our own response but also to educate against and to prevent domestic abuse. A key part of prevention is the disclosure scheme which has helped thousands of people make an informed choice about  whether to continue or end an abusive relationship.”