Hansard

I commend Kezia Dugdale on bringing forward this motion, which I know reflects her personal conviction and political commitment. I would like to focus my contribution on the final section of the motion, which calls for adequate funding for rape crisis centres.

More than five months ago, I raised the plight of Fife Rape and Sexual Assault Centre directly with the First Minister. Three weeks before Christmas, the organisation was unequivocal in its assertion that the 2.5 per cent funding cut from Fife’s health and social care partnership was to blame for the closure of its waiting list. The closure of that list was not a decision that the organisation took lightly. The First Minister was equally unequivocal in her response. She said that such services

“are absolutely vital in protecting the most vulnerable women and children in our country.”—[Official Report, 7 December 2017; c 16.]

I hope that all of us, no matter what political disagreements we might have across the chamber, can come together and support the work that organisations such as the Fife Rape and Sexual Assault Centre do for the benefit of Scotland.

Exactly a month ago, I was delighted to hear that FRASAC had reopened its waiting lists, and I got in touch with Jan Swan, the centre manager, who is based in Kirkcaldy. The waiting lists had been reopened, so surely Fife’s health and social care partnership had seen the light. Alas, it had not. Despite the additional funding from the Government, which is helping to support FRASAC’s advocacy service, local cuts to the core funding that is provided by the partnership continue to affect service provision.

We are not talking about huge sums of money—2.5 per cent of FRASAC’s core funds equates to just £977. Rape Crisis Scotland’s research reveals what that cut means for victims of rape who live in Fife, the third largest local authority in the country. On Monday 8 October, 83 people in Fife were waiting to access a support service, which was the third largest number in the country. However, the wait time for support does not match up, because rape victims in Fife can expect to wait up to 10 months for support, which is the longest waiting time in Scotland. It is completely unacceptable.

However, numbers mask personal stories, which tell of suffering and pain. We should consider the eightfold increase between 2014 and 2018 in the number of those presenting to the service who are aged between 13 and 15, or the fact that since 2014 the total number of cases that have been recorded each year by the service has increased from 213 to 280. The upward trajectory in the number of women who present to services across the country needs attention. We need to give such women encouragement and financial support, so that we foster a culture whereby women feel able to report rape or sexual assault when it occurs, and not because the system compels them to do so. It has to be about a cultural shift.

I appreciate that the Solicitor General has responded to questions on the Crown Office changes on compelling reluctant complainers to give evidence previously in Parliament. However, Sandy Brindley of Rape Crisis Scotland said:

“Our view, having supported survivors the length and breadth of Scotland”

for years,

“is that the route to improving justice for rape survivors is not by forcing them to engage with a broken system, but to fix the issues inherent within the system.”

Scotland has one of the highest rates of imprisonment for women in northern Europe. I remain unconvinced that the Crown’s actions will tackle that inequality—rather, I fear that compelling reluctant complainers to give evidence in rape cases will compound a culture in Scotland’s legal system that too often makes female victims feel like criminals. I understand the rationale behind the Crown’s actions. None of us would agree that a 5 per cent conviction rate is evidence of a system that works. However, pushing women who have already been through horrendous trauma into giving evidence is surely not the answer.

I hope that the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service will now think again and listen to the views of women who have been through the system, because, in the Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland’s thematic review, which has been mentioned, we were told:

“On opening the letter the first thing I saw was the name of the person who attacked me in black bold letters. It was very distressing.”

We were also told:

“In our court system, you are totally humiliated. It was the most degrading experience I have been through.”

Jackie Baillie is right; this is worth repeating:

“Court was absolutely horrendous, it was worse than being raped”.

Let us listen to those women’s voices, let us listen to the experts at Rape Crisis Scotland and let us ensure that Scotland’s legal system works to support all victims of rape and sexual assault.