A fifth of us are victims of crime but feel failed by police

ALMOST one in five adults was a victim of crime last year, according to the latest figures.

- By Richard Elias

The findings were labelled "damning" by critics.

Among the revelations from the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey (SCJS) survey are that:

• Overall crime victim rates are higher than those in England and Wales.

• A higher proportion of adults experienced a violent crime than in England and Wales.

• Almost 60% of people are not confident that the criminal justice system gives sentences which fit the crime.

• Fewer than half of adults believed the police in their local area are doing an excellent or good job.

The 2023-24 survey estimates that 1,185,000 crimes happened in Scotland in that time frame.

It found 19.9% of adults were estimated to have experienced at least one crime — this compares to just 16.1% in England.

In the wake of the furore over soaring juvenile crime levels, the report revealed the proportion of violent crime offenders aged under 16 was 31%, that is the highest level ever recorded by the SCJS.