"Homicide is a devastating crime for the families of victims and, while I am encouraged that last year we had the lowest levels on records, we cannot be complacent and must never forget the grieving families left behind," Matheson said.
The new figures were published Tuesday in the official report titled "Homicide in Scotland 2013-14," which looked into statistics on the crimes of homicide recorded by the police in Scotland in the period 2004-2005 to 2013-2014, excluding various cases of careless driving. Statistics show a decrease of five percent over the span of a year.
In 2013-2014, Scottish authorities recorded 61 victims of homicide, the lowest since records began in 1976, with police identifying accused perpetrators in every case recorded.
Most victims died as a result of injuries from sharp objects, including knives and other sharp implements and 70 percent of victims knew their attacker.
