Meeting of the Parliament 30 November 2022
I thank the minister for bringing such an important debate to the chamber, and I am honoured to open the debate on behalf of the Scottish Conservatives. This is my second debate this month to mark the international day for the elimination of violence against women.
It is disappointing that, in 2022, women are still suffering so many acts of violence every single day. That feeling of disappointment is no doubt shared by every member in the chamber. It is truly promising to see so many men in the chamber, advocating for the elimination of violence against women and girls. In last year’s debate, as I recall, members expressed disappointment that there were not more men in the chamber. They were right to do so because, as the motion points out, the eradication of violence against women and girls cannot be achieved unless men recognise the role that they must play in that. As the minister said, it is vital that men speak out.
Today, I am thankful that there are many examples of men who recognise that responsibility and can act as role models to young men around the world. I would like to give a special mention to some of my colleagues. Week in and week out, Russell Findlay is a voice for many victims of violence and abuse. My colleague Brian Whittle proudly champions the empowerment of women and girls, particularly through sport. Alexander Stewart has always supported our debates on ending violence against women and girls, and he has spoken from the heart about his own experience of the issue. My colleague Jamie Greene’s victims law would put victims, not perpetrators, at the centre of our justice system.
Those are all examples of the steps that men can take to promote a culture in which tackling the causes of violence against women and girls is the norm, and I am proud to have those individuals as colleagues.
However, as is often said in such debates, there is still more to be done. Yesterday, the updated domestic abuse statistics for 2021-22 were released, and I was sad to see that so little has changed. The tiny decrease in the number of domestic abuse incidents recorded by Police Scotland shows how little progress has been made. There has been a drop of less than 1 per cent from the record high in 2020-21, when more than 65,000 incidents were recorded. Even more shockingly, 64 per cent of those incidents were repeat offences. Those statistics are a sign that something is still not working in Scotland’s justice system and that we must continue to push for further reform.
This year, I have spoken to many fantastic domestic abuse organisations that are doing amazing work out there in the community to support victims of domestic abuse. However, there is only so much that they can do when they are swimming against such a strong tide of domestic abuse incidents.
That is why I am pleased that my proposed domestic abuse (prevention) (Scotland) bill has received such strong support. More than 20 organisations have supported my proposals, and more than 90 per cent of those who responded to my consultation were supportive.
My proposed bill would aim to tackle the problem of domestic abuse from every angle. It would provide additional checks on abusers to prevent them from moving from place to place and from victim to victim. It would also introduce mandatory rehabilitation for people who are guilty of domestic abuse. As I said earlier, repeat offences make up the majority of domestic abuse incidents. We must stop the cycle in which abusers simply move on to their next victim.
Domestic abuse can affect all of us. It is an issue that is above party politics. I therefore hope that members on all sides of the chamber will consider supporting my proposals.
I am, of course, happy to support the Government’s motion, but there have been developments in the past week that need to be addressed. It is important that Parliament is given the opportunity to address the elephant in the room.
The amendment in my name seeks to draw attention to last week’s comments by the United Nations expert on violence against women and girls, Reem Alsalem, which we cannot ignore. Speaking about the Scottish National Party’s proposed gender recognition reforms, she stated—