Dame Jackie Baillie, First Minister John Swinney and Lord Advocate Ruth Charteris.
by BILL HEANEY
Violence against women and girls is a global problem and a blight on our society, so it falls to all of us in the Scottish Parliament chamber to do everything that we can to tackle it, Dumbarton MSP Jackie Baillie told MSPs this week.
She expressed support for the “It’s Time” campaign by the Sunday Post, to challenge and eradicate violence against women and girls, and welcomed the fact that John Swinney has pledged his support, too.
Dame Jackie added: “However, the uncomfortable truth is that words are no substitute for action, and this is not day zero. Since 2022, sexual crime rates have risen by 11 per cent; rates of rape have soared by a third; and domestic abuse is up by a shocking 81 per cent. To make matters worse, the length of time that victims have to wait for justice has also increased. Rape victims now face an average of nearly three years between reporting an incident to the police and a verdict being given. What is the Government doing right now to ensure that Scotland’s justice system is keeping women and girls safe?”
“I assure Jackie Baillie that the Lord Advocate, Ruth Charteris, as the head of the prosecution service, makes clear the importance that she attaches to pursuing these crimes. The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service is working at pace to ensure that cases can be processed and heard as swiftly and expeditiously as possible, but there must be careful preparation to ensure that cases are robust so that they can result in successful prosecutions.
“I give Jackie Baillie the commitment that, among the police and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, there is an absolute determination to ensure that that is the case.”
However, Dame Jackie pointed out: “The promised sexual offences court is still not in place, and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service claims that it has had no extra money to deliver that. It is not enough just to get cases heard in court; women are being failed even after abusers are known to the justice system.”
“In relation to some of the work on GPS tracking, pilot work is under way, but I accept unreservedly the importance of having additional protections in place, which can be provided through the use of this technology. I assure Jackie Baillie and Parliament that the Government is giving this matter urgent attention to ensure that progress is made as quickly as possible.”
Dame Jackie pressed on, however: “I thank the First Minister for that, but actions speak louder than words, so I want to press him on the timetable for GPS tracking, because women’s lives are being lost while it is not in place. The epidemic of violence against women and girls in Scotland demands immediate action. We cannot afford any more delay.
“A year after the Women’s Rights Network published data on sexual assaults in hospitals, it reported that there has been no progress. This Parliament legislated to create domestic abuse protection orders, giving the police extra powers to protect victims. Five years on, they are still not in place. We are still waiting for the SNP’s promised misogyny bill.
“In 2023, its changes to bail laws removed vital protections for domestic abuse victims, and GPS tracking is still not here. The SNP is failing to exempt rapists and sex offenders from its latest plans to release prisoners early.
“I do not for a moment doubt the good intentions of John Swinney and his Government. I believe that he is genuine and sincere, but those choices and delays have been fatal.
Will the First Minister do the right thing, acknowledge that his Government has failed to keep women safe, and guarantee that his warm words will finally be backed up with action?”
“The Government, which I have been proud to be part of, has taken significant legislative steps to tackle domestic violence in our country. We look to implement the legislation and ensure that it can be effective as swiftly as possible, but it has to be workable legislation.
“I have committed that the misogyny bill will be introduced in the first year of this parliamentary session, and that is exactly what will happen. No decisions have been taken on the penal reform consultation, which closed on 20 August. The Government will consider the issues that have been raised, and the points that Jackie Baillie raises are serious considerations to be addressed as part of that.
“I could not have been more open about my sense of shock about what we have experienced in Scotland over the summer in relation to violence against women and girls. For all my involvement in areas of policy in the past, I am determined to make sure that this has the strongest possible and emphatic leadership from the First Minister.
“I am a male First Minister. At the heart of all this is the behaviour of men and boys. There has to be a cultural effort; the Government’s communication is important, and these exchanges are important as well, because they allow me to say to Parliament and to the country that male violence against women is absolutely and completely unacceptable, and every aspect of this state will be deployed to root it out.”