Shocking high-profile abuse scandals have contributed to a spike in the number of children on the child protection register across Courier country, it has emerged.
Social work statistics have revealed the number of children deemed to be at significant risk rose in Angus, Dundee, Fife and Perth and Kinross last year, with the Angus rate per 1,000 population aged 0-15 the highest of all 32 Scottish council areas.
The Scottish average stands at 3.2 per 1,000, although Angus was approaching double that at 5.9, with Fife at 3.6, Dundee at 2.8 and Perth and Kinross at 2.5.
All four local authorities put the increased figures down to greater reporting and more awareness of the issue, with the furore surrounding Operation Yewtree the police investigation into the behaviour of Jimmy Savile and others apparently prompting more victims to speak out.
Angus has reported a steady increase in the number of children on the register since the end of 2011, rising from 59 in 2012 to 94 in 2013, and then again to 116 last year.
An Angus Council spokesman said: “The number of child protection referrals and registrations has increased significantly over the past three years.
“This possibly reflects an increase in the awareness of child protection through partner agencies following training delivered at a local level to professionals within these partner agencies. All agencies across Angus continue to work together to respond to child protection concerns.
“The increase may also reflect the high-profile nature of some of the sexual abuse cases over recent times, which has highlighted to the public the importance of speaking up and raising their concerns, as well as the local public awareness-raising campaign which ran recently on the radio and newspapers.”
Increases in Dundee, Fife and Perth and Kinross have also been recorded in the last two years, when details about Operation Yewtree and the sickening abuse of dozens of children came to light.
There were 230 children on the child protection register in Fife last year, up from 213 a year before, while numbers in Dundee rose from 46 to 67 in the same timeframe.
The Perth and Kinross figures went up from 49 to 61 in that period, although its rate per 1,000 population aged 0-15 was 2.5 lower than the 3.2 Scottish average.
A Perth and Kinross Council spokesman said: “The recently released figures show that the increase in the number of children on child protection registers is a Scotland and UK trend.
“As part of its regular monitoring of evidence, the Perth and Kinross Child Protection Committee reported an increase in the number of children whose names were included on the child protection register in October 2014.
“We have placed a strong emphasis in conveying the message that it is everyone’s responsibility to keep children safe.
“This is now understood very clearly across the communities of Perth and Kinross.”