OVERALL crime down, but rapes are up

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Overall crime down, but rapes are up

15/06/2004 13:35
More rapes and attempted rapes were reported in Scotland last year than ever before. New statistics show nearly 1,000 cases were recorded, a record high for the second year in a row.

There has also been a significant rise in vandalism and graffiti, but overall crime is down. As a community warden in the North of Edinburgh, it is part of Kevin Jones' job to deal with graffiti, and he says it is a never ending battle.

He said: "We get power sprays down and get it sandblasted off and that sort of thing instead of painting it over because then it's a blank canvas. But sometimes within a day or two days it reappears in some form."

Justice minister Cathy Jamieson MSP was this morning seeing for herself what is a growing problem. There were just over 100,000 recorded cases of vandalism in Scotland last year - up five per cent on the year before.

The overall number of crimes recorded by police is down by five per cent on last year. But the number of offences, covering lower level activity like breach of the peace or speeding, is actually up by a startling 15%. Violent crime is down, but sexual crimes are up again, particularly rape and attempted rape, which now stand at a record high.

Cathy Jamieson said: "We are of course seeing greater incidences of reporting but that's not to say that we should be at all complacent about that. I think we have a serious problem in Scotland at times in relation to a culture of violence and that includes sexual offences and that needs to be tackled."

Opposition parties say there is some progress, but not enough. Another step to deal with crime comes this week when the anti social behavior bill will finish its journey through parliament.