Scottish prisons have recorded nearly 100 allegations of “sexual assault and inappropriate behaviour” and 12,511 claims of physical assault in the last five years.
Glasgow’s Barlinnie Prison recorded the highest number of sexual assault claims from inmates with 33, followed by Edinburgh with 18, Addiewell, 9, and Perth Prison with 8.
The numbers were revealed by the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) in a reply to a freedom of information (FOI) request by The Ferret asking for details of rape allegations within prisons.
The SPS could not provide a specific figure for rape claims but said the total number of allegations of “sexual assault and inappropriate behaviour” from 2018 to 2023 was 97.
All the allegations were reported to Police Scotland but the outcomes of the force’s investigations are not recorded on SPS systems, a prison service spokesperson said.
Opposition politicians said the figures were “deeply disturbing” and that no-one in a Scottish prison one should be subjected to rape, sexual violence or assault.
The SPS said it has a “zero tolerance approach to all such forms of unacceptable behaviour”.
Last May, The Ferret revealed that violent assaults had risen more steeply at HMP Addiewell than any other jail. There were a total of 166 assaults by prisoners in 2022. These included attacks by razor blades and scalding and some resulted in people being hospitalised. The majority of the assaults were on other prisoners but 44 were on staff.
In terms of assault allegations since 2018 there have been 2194 recorded at Polmont, 2018 at Barlinnie, 1742 at Addiewell, 1199 at Edinburgh, 1089 in Kilmarnock and 1035 in Perth. There were 48 assault allegations recorded in Cornton Vale, a prison for women, said the SPS’s FOI reply.
In April 2022, we reported that phone calls made by prisoners to the Samaritans more than doubled to over 13,000 in just six months, raising concerns about the lack of mental health support in Scottish jails.
The Ferret’s revelations over alleged sexual violence add to a litany of other serious problems facing Scotland’s prisons including overcrowding, mental health issues, endemic drug use, and rising numbers on remand.
Prisons are reaching a “tipping point”, according to SPS head Teresa Medhurst, who spoke to the BBC last month.
Pauline McNeill MSP, Scottish Labour’s shadow cabinet secretary for justice, called on the Scottish Government to get the prison service “under control”. She said: “These statistics, particularly those on sexual assault, are deeply disturbing. Scotland’s prison service is in crisis, with overcrowding, violence and drug use all being endemic. This is an intolerable situation for both staff and prisoners.”
These statistics, particularly those on sexual assault, are deeply disturbing. Scotland’s prison service is in crisis, with overcrowding, violence and drug use all being endemic. This is an intolerable situation for both staff and prisoners.
Pauline McNeill MSP, Scottish Labour’s shadow cabinet secretary for justice.
Maggie Chapman, a Scottish Greens MSP who previously worked for Rape Crisis Scotland, described the figures as “very concerning” and said nobody should be put at risk of assault or sexual violence when in custody. She said: “We must ensure there are resources available to support people affected by trauma and violence in our prisons, including both the prisoner population and staff.
“There are also fundamental questions about what we want from our justice system. We know that prisons are not safe, peaceful places. They often make people more likely to reoffend. They can lead to drug addiction and suicidal ideation. There is a great deal of work to be done to transform a system that all too often fails everyone: victims, survivors, perpetrators and the public.”
A Scottish Prison Service spokesperson said all instances of alleged criminality are reported to Police Scotland. They added: “We continue to work with individuals in our care to reduce such incidents and offer support to those affected by it, including our staff.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said attacks on prisoners and prison staff are “completely unacceptable” and that everyone should be able to “live and work safely” in prisons. “Despite deeply challenging financial circumstances due to the UK Government settlement that was devastating for Scotland’s finances, we are increasing investment in our vital prison service by 10 per cent to £436.6m to enable it to continue to provide a safe and secure prison estate,” the spokesperson added.
Police Scotland did not provide any information.
