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Plenary, 02 Dec 2009

02 Dec 2009 · S3 · Plenary

Item of business

Violence Against Women

Brown, Robert LD Glasgow Watch on SPTV

I am not sure that there is much substance to Christine Grahame's point. It is valid as far it goes, in that violence is the particularly sharp end of domestic abuse, but, as we have said during previous debates on the subject, the range of abuse covers emotional violence, pressure, threats and intimidation. It goes wider than assault in the normal sense of the word, however it is defined.

Much of the violence is rightly viewed as gender based, but perhaps that is not the whole story. It is certainly true that there are recurring themes of tactics of control, humiliation and degradation, and of transferring blame to the victim for many incidents involving sexual assault and emotional abuse within relationships. It is also true that alcohol and drug abuse make a significant contribution to the figures, as do the domestic financial pressures caused by the current economic crisis. In response to Johann Lamont, no one is suggesting that those problems cause or excuse domestic violence, but we all know that crime rates move up and down and that that movement can be, in a general sense, caused by such outside factors. At the end of the day, we must come back to the figures and the number of women who suffer as a consequence of those particular forms of abuse.

I am also very clear that, time after time, the innocent victims are the children in the family who are harmed by domestic violence and abuse that is directed sometimes against them but more commonly against a parent. Children grow up witnessing that behaviour and regard it as normal and, as we know from other spheres, that perpetuates a generational problem in which there is a much-increased risk of domestic violence when the children become adults. That is not to say that domestic violence leads to children growing up to be violent themselves, but undoubtedly there is a higher risk in that situation than there is otherwise.

Tackling domestic violence means changing the culture and creating a society in which domestic violence is known for what it is: a crime as bad as or worse than other violent crimes and one that breaches human rights, destroys the life chances of children and partners, and degrades and corrodes personal relationships.

There has been a major shift in opinion and practice. The police are much better trained in how to deal with domestic violence. The law has long moved away from the time when the wife and children were regarded as the husband's property, and it recognises that it is an offence and serious crime for a man to rape his wife. A lot of resource has gone into supporting the work of organisations such as Scottish Women's Aid and into working to turn round men who are in a pattern of violence and abuse against their partners.

I want to mention three particular issues. The first is the increasing concern expressed by Scottish Women's Aid and others about the effect of the local government concordat and the reduction of ring fencing. Johann Lamont earlier mentioned the figures and the single outcome agreements. Half of the Women's Aid branches are operating with a standstill or reduced budget, and it is a challenge for the Government to specify, enforce and drive the SOA, or to do something different. It is unacceptable that key services should be chopped as a result of changes to bureaucracy.

The second issue is that of repeat offending, which has been touched on, along with the work of Strathclyde Police's domestic abuse task force. The Tory amendment alludes to the success of the Glasgow domestic abuse court, and I support the calls that such courts should be rolled out in a way that is sensitive to different local situations across Scotland.

My third issue relates to the problem of women who come from abroad, possibly on an arranged marriage, but who are threatened and disempowered because their husband holds the threat of their lack of settlement status over them. The work of Hemat Gryffe Women's Aid to support women in that situation is hugely important and hugely underfunded. The problem also needs proper recognition by the United Kingdom Border Agency and by the UK Government and others that interact with it. People without that support are left in an awful position, probably at the worse end of the spectrum.

The motion is timely. It is a small part of the change in culture that lies at the heart of the challenge. We live in a society that is still too tolerant of violence, and that must change. On behalf of the Liberal Democrats, I have great pleasure in supporting the motion and the amendments.

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Plenary, 02 Dec 2009

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