Tories call for justice for crime victims

The Scottish Government is to be urged to change its “soft-touch” approach to justice in a debate led by the Scottish Tories.

The party will lead the discussion tomorrow, in which it will call on the government to adapt its strategy and “put the victims of crime first” by backing its proposed Victims Bill.

The Tories say the Scottish Government has “underfunded” Police Scotland with a real-terms capital funding cut in the latest budget, and suggested criminals are being “kept out of prison” through automatic releases.

The party said the government is set to “water down justice” through plans for reform, including the release of prisoners who have served one third of their sentence.

Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Jamie Greene said: “The SNP government has spent the last 15 years eroding our justice system with its soft-touch policies and now, more than ever, people are feeling the consequences.

“Violent crime in Scotland has reached its highest level in a decade, the human cost of which is being felt by thousands of victims who have been let down by the SNP’s broken promises.

“Instead of standing up for victims of crime, the SNP government would rather ensure criminals are kept out of prison completely or automatically released having served a fraction of their sentence.

“Victims should never be treated like an afterthought in our justice system, but that’s the reality under the SNP. The Scottish Conservatives would ensure criminals are always properly punished, as well as putting victims’ needs first with our Victims Bill.”