Reporting to the Police

Abusive behaviour experienced by a partner or ex-partner is a criminal offence with very clear legislation (The Domestic Abuse Scotland Act 2018) which recognises that domestic abuse can take place over a long period of time and covers acts of not just physical abuse, but of controlling behaviours and emotional abuse.

This includes psychological abuse such as coercive and controlling behaviour as well as violence.
 

The Police recognise revenge porn as a serious form of abuse. If someone is sharing or threatening to share an intimate image without consent you can report it.
 

Please report your concerns to Police Scotland at your local police station. You can also call the police non-urgently to report something of concern or even discuss a situation on 101, online or via 999 if it is an emergency. Police Scotland has also launched the new Disclosure Scheme for Domestic Abuse Scotland.  If you have concerns about your own partner’s past, or concerns about another person’s partner, you can apply to the Scheme to ask if that person has a history of domestic abuse or other relevant behaviour.
 

Reporting incidents assists Police Scotland in tackling domestic abuse.  The information you provide is valuable.  It enables the police to identify areas of concern and patterns of behaviour that could lead to the prosecution of offenders and to ensuring the safety of the victim.

If you are unsure if you would like to report an incident to the Police, you can arrange a meeting with the Equally Safe Team to talk this through and explore your options. The team can support you by arranging an informal meeting for you with a specialist Police team at the public protection unit who can talk you through the process and possible outcomes. 
 

You can also report an incident anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at any point on 0800 555 111.