ALMOST 900 charges related to domestic abuse were reported last year in Dumbarton, according to new figures.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) published stats that showed the number of charges related to domestic abuse last year was the highest since 2015-16.

There were 33,425 charges reported in 2020-21, an increase of 9% on the year before.

Of these, 5,155 charges with a domestic abuse identifier were reported in the North Strathclyde sheriffdom - with 889 in Dumbarton. That compares to 820 in the year 2019-20.

Now Scottish Labour MSP Katy Clark has used a parliamentary motion to call on the Scottish Government to lay out a strategy for rolling out specialist domestic abuse courts across the country.

She said: "Unfortunately, the stats suggest we’re moving backwards, not forwards, when it comes to tackling domestic abuse.

"Specialist courts are key if we want to effectively prevent and prosecute domestic abuse. Women’s aid charities have been clear in their support for them.

"Domestic abuse cases can put victims at emotional or physical risk. This means we need processes that minimise these risks and take into account the often complex circumstances victims face, including at the sentencing stage.

"We also need to analyse and evaluate the outcomes of existing specialist domestic abuse courts in Glasgow and Edinburgh, with a view to rolling them out across the country."

The full motion read: "The Parliament understands that there were over 33,000 charges with a domestic abuse identifier reported to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service during 2020-21 and believes with concern that this is a 9% increase on the year before and the highest figure reported in five years.

"It notes that charges reported under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 accounted for 4.7% of all domestic abuse charges reported and understands that, in 87% of domestic abuse cases, the aggressor was male, and that one-in-four cases was classed as common assault.

"It notes the view that the Scottish Government must analyse and evaluate the outcomes of specialist domestic abuse courts in Glasgow and Edinburgh and how they compare to outcomes in other courts, and further notes the calls on the government to heed the requests from women’s aid charities for it to lay out a strategy for rolling out these specialist courts across the country."