Hansard

I think that the phrase “domestic abuse” has become a bit of a fig leaf. Society has pulled a veil over the reality so that it does not upset us too much or make us feel too uncomfortable. We must not fall for that get-out; we must face the issue head on.

As we have heard, the fact is that in 79 per cent of domestic abuse cases it is men who are treating their partners with a level of violent physical and mental abuse that is not only evil but soul and family destroying. We should not lose sight of the reality that around one in five women—the figure is probably even higher than that—will be victims of such physical and emotional attack.

I ask everyone present, regardless of their gender or orientation, to think for a moment about what the term “domestic abuse” means to them. I cannot offer a right to reply at the moment, but I would like everyone to take a bit of time to look in their mind’s eye and think about what domestic abuse means to them. Does it mean a drunk football supporter coming home after a football match in which his team has lost and waving a knife drunkenly in his wife’s face while threatening to give her it, or does it mean a child abused in her bedroom by an apparently doting relative? Inequality is at the heart of the issue. For women, that can start as early as when the midwife says, “It’s a girl.”

Domestic abuse is happening now. It shocks and horrifies us all, but that is the tip of an iceberg. The real story lies in the thousands of homes across Scotland—there are no social or wealth boundaries—in which women are physically and mentally assaulted, alarmed, distressed and entrapped continually. They are too frightened to take any action and are so threatened by the fear of more of the same that they just seem to hang on. That is the catch-22 situation that we are caught in. We are aware of the headline-grabbing major attacks, but we have no real sense of what or how much takes place behind closed doors.

In the Scottish Government’s “Equally Safe” publication last October, the authors emphasised why a specific new offence is required. The then Solicitor General for Scotland, Lesley Thomson, called on the Parliament to create a bespoke offence of domestic abuse, and we agreed with her. I and many of the organisations on the cross-party group on men’s violence against women and children agreed with her. I very much welcome Claire Baker filling the substantial shoes of Malcolm Chisholm on that group. I learned a lot from Malcolm Chisholm, and I look forward to working with Claire Baker. I agree that we need a specific offence that provides recognition of the impact and consequences of all types of abusive behaviours, including non-violent tactics of control and abuse, and that makes clear to the public and to law enforcement that such conduct is not acceptable.

The new bill will set out to tackle the underreporting of abuse across its different faces, which we all welcome. There is a growing understanding of the damaging impact that comes from controlling and coercive behaviour that eats into the mind. Women have no control over finances, what they wear, their friends, when and with whom they go out or even whether they get to go out. The impact on health and self is profound.

We have heard that Women’s Aid groups in Scotland deal with around 25,000 new cases of women, children and young people needing support but, as we know, the true figure may be much higher.

As well as the impact on women, the impact on children is huge, as we have heard. We must have a compassionate and caring system with access for women who are often literally forced on to the street with their children. There is a whole invisible sea of knock-on effects far beyond the immediate crisis.

The withdrawal of the threat to refugees from the UK Government is very welcome, but we need to keep an eye on that.

Although voluntary organisations such as Women’s Aid and the Rape Crisis centres do everything that they can, the system remains disjointed and often unsympathetic to the victims. We need proper specific housing options to be made available for families who are fleeing violence. When it comes to housing, there should be something similar to the courtesy that is given to our veterans. The model already exists; let us see whether we can use it for domestic abuse. Women and children must have accommodation in which they feel safe and secure, as safety and security are paramount.

As I said, we need an improved legislative framework that singles out a specific domestic abuse offence and holds criminals who have been convicted under it up to the public eye. In conjunction with the Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Act 2016, that will achieve a great deal. It is a vital additional weapon in the on-going fight against the brutal and criminal abuse of women, and I look forward to working with everybody across the chamber to bring it about.