How many (a) men and (b) women have been prosecuted for domestic violence in each year since 1997, broken down by police force area.

There is no statutory or common law offence of domestic violence but the term is commonly understood to refer to offences such as assault or breach of the peace. In November 2004, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) agreed with the Association of Chief Police Officers (Scotland) (ACPOS) a joint protocol outlining the procedures and practices to be followed in dealing with cases of domestic abuse. The protocol defines domestic abuse as:
“Any form of physical, sexual or mental and emotional abuse which might amount to criminal conduct and which takes place within the context of a close relationship. The relationship will be between partners (married, cohabiting or otherwise) or ex-partners. The abuse can be committed in the home or elsewhere.
While available evidence suggests that the most prevalent instances of domestic abuse are male violence towards women, this definition acknowledges and includes female violence towards men and violence between partners or ex-partners in close, same-sex relationships.”
The Victim Information and Advice (VIA) service within COPFS works to help ensure that victims of crime in cases involving domestic abuse receive the information and support they need. The following table shows the number of summary cases involving domestic abuse that were referred to VIA in each police force area in 2004-05. Comprehensive information relating to earlier periods is not available.
Domestic Abuse Cases referred to VIA: Summary Cases: 2004-05
Police Force Area
| No. of Cases

Central Scotland Police
| 260

Dumfries and Galloway Police
| 206

Fife Constabulary
| 460

Grampian Police
| 465

Lothian and Borders Police
| 983

Northern Constabulary
| 303

Strathclyde Police
| 5352

Tayside Police
| 662

Total
| 8691


Information in relation to cases dealt with under solemn procedure is only available for the period since July 2005. The available information is set out in the following table.
Domestic Abuse Cases referred to VIA: Petition Cases: July to September 2005
Police Force Area
| No. of Cases

Central Scotland Police
| 7

Dumfries and Galloway Police
| 4

Fife Constabulary
| 12

Grampian Police
| 4

Lothian and Borders Police
| 8

Northern Constabulary
| 0

Strathclyde Police
| 55

Tayside Police
| 14

Total
| 104


It is not possible to separately identify cases where the accused was male or female.