Meeting of the Parliament 15 September 2016
I address every individual in Scotland today whose home is a torture chamber, who conceals physical and psychological scars and who lives in fear of a tyrant—a tyrant who threatens, intimidates and hits, who controls and isolates, who humiliates and degrades, who controls what is spent, what is watched and what is worn, and who makes another human being feel like nothing and nobody. For those who are subjected to such abuse, I hope that our debate today and the Scottish Government’s proposed domestic abuse bill send a loud and strong message that such behaviour is not just a wee spat, it is not just a wee mistake and it is not just a wee one-off: it is criminally wrong and utterly immoral.
I can quote the numbers of reported domestic abuse incidents in Scotland—nearly 60,000 last year—but only a fifth of those who experience partner abuse actually tell the police, so we can safely assume that that figure is not correct.
Quoting numbers does not tell the individual stories, either. Last month I met members of Lochaber Women’s Aid, who do an incredible job. They shared details about specific women whom they have helped. I was so angry to hear about the cowardly and creatively dehumanising cruelty of the perpetrators, but at the same time I was full of admiration for the women who relive their experiences in an effort to get justice as they give evidence to police, the courts and support groups, and who care for children, as well as for themselves.
I was also frustrated that the current law does not provide the police, prosecutors and courts with sufficient powers to bring perpetrators to justice, and by the fact that, most crucially of all, it does not give confidence to victims to come forward. That is why we need the Government’s radical and groundbreaking proposals and why we need cross-party support.
So, what do I welcome in the new proposal? First, I welcome that the new offence will improve the ability of the police to intervene in specific cases, and that the Scottish Government promises to work closely with Police Scotland to ensure that training is in place. Training is absolutely vital. In one part of the Highlands, every student community nurse is given at least an hour’s training with the local Women’s Aid group. They are briefed on some of the big issues, on how to identify signs of potential domestic abuse in women, men and children and—almost most important—on how to make contact with the Women’s Aid groups that are at the coalface of caring for and representing victims. Currently, new recruits in the police service are given some training at Tulliallan as part of their induction, but I would love to see refresher courses, especially in the more remote areas of Scotland, and strong encouragement to work collaboratively with local Women’s Aid groups and other support groups.
Secondly, the bill will develop a more joined-up approach and will provide police, prosecutors and the courts with sufficient powers to bring perpetrators of abuse to justice. In a recent Scottish Government consultation, more than 90 per cent of respondents believed that that is not happening under the current law.
In my discussions with Women’s Aid, I have been shocked to hear that on many occasions, those who have been abused can sometimes on the day of a trial sit in the justice centre from first thing in the morning until the end of the afternoon, but be none the wiser as to whether the abuser has been found not guilty, is out on bail or has been sent to prison. I know that that is not the case everywhere, but we have to get the basics right. There should be an agreed communications plan from the court, procurator fiscal or police for the victim. It is an utter travesty to have vulnerable women anywhere in this country agonising about whether they will bump into their abusers.
Thirdly, the new offence will give the courts the powers that they need to impose tough maximum penalties on perpetrators. Domestic abuse courts have been mentioned; I would like a travelling domestic abuse court that could visit rural locations for one or two days a month, with a sheriff who specialises in domestic abuse cases, in order to ensure that cases of abuse in the Highlands get justice. The heinous but hidden crime of domestic abuse is a national issue, and any changes to the law must account for remote and rural Scotland so that there is no postcode lottery.
Legislation is, of course, not the only answer, but it sends a very loud message to perpetrators that their actions are inexcusably immoral. I hope that it will also go some way towards giving victims greater confidence in the justice system so that they come forward and can make sure that justice is delivered. For that reason, I welcome the debate and strongly welcome the Government’s priority of ensuring that a domestic abuse bill is introduced early in this parliamentary session.
15:06