New figures have revealed that 2,387 incidents of domestic abuse were recorded by the police in the Highlands in 2018-19.
It means there are now just over 6 incidents each day on average within the council area.
The rise comes at a time when the SNP have effectively abolished jail sentences of less than a year – risking domestic abusers being let off the hook.
Across Scotland, the number of domestic abuse cases rose for the third year in a row to 60,641, a new all-time high.
Around four in every five cases involved a female victim and male perpetrator, and the vast majority occurred in a home setting.
In 2019, Nicola Sturgeon effectively abolished prison sentences of less than 12 months.
That provoked a furious response from domestic abuse charities, who warned most offences that resulted in jail time tended to involve sentences of that length.
Highlands and Islands MSP, Edward Mountain said:
““It will be very concerning to the people of Highlands that domestic violence appears to be on the rise, with 6 incidents every day within the council area.
As domestic abuse charities have pointed out, Nicola Sturgeon’s abolition of short prison sentences could result in abusers being let straight back into homes. That is unacceptable.
I fully support the police as they strive to crack down on perpetrators, but this is undermined by a soft-touch SNP government at the top which wants to let such people walk free from court.”
