Tackling threat and Risk

Police Scotland recognises the impact that serious violence including homicide has on victims and families, and the wider impact such criminality can have on community safety and cohesion. As a single national service, Police Scotland has driven consistently high standards of homicide investigation, underpinned by empathy, compassion, professionalism and justice. Every death is unique, and every homicide investigation presents its own particular challenges.

Since the last meeting of the Scottish Police Authority Board on Thursday 25 May 2023, detective officers from our Major Investigation Team, with support from Local Policing Division colleagues and other specialist services, responded to five murders at various locations across the country. That professional investigative response has resulted in the identification and arrest of an accused person or persons in each of the murders.

The ability to respond to multiple incidences of serious criminality occurring within a compressed time period, and conducting complex investigations while supporting the families and communities affected, demonstrates the value of the integrated and effective national service.

Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry – Significant Conviction

In 2019, Peter Toner, aged 65, was convicted at Glasgow High Court for sex crimes against five children whilst teaching in Ayrshire between 1979 and 1983.

As a result of ongoing further investigation by the National Child Abuse Investigation Unit he stood trial again in May 2023 at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court.  He was found guilty of seven additional offences against children in Largs, Dumfries and Greenock and received a four year sentence to run concurrently with his current sentence.

Significant Conviction 

On 26 April 2023, Malcolm Leask, aged 35 was found guilty of 19 violent and sexual offences against two women, children and animals at addresses in Clackmannanshire and Orkney between 2008 and 2019. 

On 24 May, he was sentenced to 20 years (12 years imprisonment, eight years extended sentence) and subject to Non-harassment Orders, for an indefinite period. 

The conviction and sentence was the culmination of a complex investigation carried out by Police Scotland officers in conjunction with a number of partner agencies, and underlines our commitment to holding offenders to account for their actions.

Victim Survivor Feedback

We are committed to proactively tackling domestic abuse and to ensuring the critical protection of children, by listening to and continuously improving on our response to victim survivors.   

In addition to other feedback arrangements and mechanisms, on 24 May 2023, we opened a Victim Survivor Feedback form on our website to provide victim survivors of domestic abuse, rape and other sexual crimes, an opportunity to provide anonymous feedback and inform and improve our services. 

Police Scotland wants to ensure we provide the best possible service that meets the public’s expectations. Gathering feedback about lived experiences helps us understand what we are getting right and what we could do better. We will use these findings to shape our internal training and improve the services we provide.

Our partner organisations are also raising awareness of this feedback process with victim survivors they are in contact with, and domestic abuse teams and investigating officers will use their judgement sensitively in highlighting this form.  Within the first week of operation, the online form had been accessed and completed 14 times.