BBC Scotland‘s insert in BBC Breakfast is headlining the above story alongside the report of the Arbroath and Broughty ferry by-election.

They’ve had to work hard to get a story out of their Tayside & Central web page which only has:

A 23-year-old man has been charged after a woman was raped in Arbroath. Police said they had received a report of a serious sexual assault in the Bridge Street area on Saturday 6 June.

Detectives said a man has now been arrested and charged.

The man is expected to appear at Forfar Sheriff Court later.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9824697648o

Based on the above, is that, strictly speaking a ‘rape’ story, yet? Police Scotland’s report suggests not:

I suppose ‘rape’ sounds more damaging for the community as they go to the polls to perhaps vote SNP and the BBC don’t have the time to wait for the confirmation of the charge if they’re going to make Arbroath sound bad at this important time for them..

Here’s something you won’t be told about crimes of rape and attempted rape in Scotland and the wider UK.

Still shocking and disgraceful I know but important indications of relative progress, 53 per 100 000 in Scotland and 118 per 100 000 in the UK, more than twice as common. ^{1, 2}

The rate in Angus, the region containing Arbroath, 51 per 100 000¹, a touch below the Scottish national average and well under half the UK figure.

Sources?

1. https://www.gov.scot/publications/recorded-crime-scotland-2024-25/pages/sexual-crimes/
2. https://www.statista.com/statistics/283100/recorded-rape-offences-in-england-and-wales/?srsltid=AfmBOor1ZL8nlpPLyYhcplrH79fMXw0ERA_ZkCoVN0-IyZH__qyDaLr4