Daily Record

6 women killed by partners they had reported to police

Furious campaigner­s claim threats are often not taken seriously enough

- BY ALAN McEWEN alan.mcewen@reachplc.com

SIX women have been killed by a partner or ex who they’d previously reported to police in Scotland during the last three years.

Campaigner­s said it was “extremely concerning” that the women had made reports of abuse before going on to lose their lives.

Anti-stalking charity Paladin said threats to kill made against victims were often “not taken seriously”.

Police insist they have a “clear risk assessment” process for reports of domestic abuse, stalking and harassment.

The disturbing figures were laid bare following a freedom of informatio­n request by the website Broadly.

Police Scotland were asked how many women had reported an abusive partner, ex-partner or stalker, then went on to be killed by them. The force identified six cases, three from 2015-2016, one for 2016-2017 and two more for 2017-2018.

The women had reported suspected physical, verbal, sexual or financial abuse in the context of a relationsh­ip.

Police didn’t disclose the identities of the victims. But one case thought to match the criteria was the murder of Moira Gilbertson, 56, from Edinburgh. Moira was stabbed to death by deranged partner Roger Crossan, 53, last October. He had earlier served an eight-year sentence for killing a previous partner in England, and was convicted of assaulting Moira in 2011.

Laura Richards, from Paladin, told Broadly: “It’s extremely concerning that six women contacted police for protection and reported threatenin­g behaviour before they were killed by their partner or ex-partner.

“Often times, threats to kill made by stalkers are not taken seriously. We know through research that one in two domestic stalkers, when they make a threat, will act on it and that many perpetrato­rs are serial. “Training to identify and manage risk is vital and serial stalkers and domestic abusers should be included on the same register as sex offenders. This will save lives and money.”

Detective Superinten­dent Gordon McCreadie said: “Tackling and preventing domestic abuse is a priority for Police Scotland and, working with partner agencies, we are committed to providing protection and support for victims and their families.”

Training to identify and manage risk is vital LAURA RICHARDS FROM ANTI-STALKING CHARITY

 ??  ?? VICTIM Tragic Moira feared for her safety
VICTIM Tragic Moira feared for her safety
 ??  ?? DERANGED Roger Crossan had previous
DERANGED Roger Crossan had previous

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