Jeers as Tory leader defends ‘heinous’ rape clause

Ruth Davidson was confronted with the harrowing testimony of a rape victim as the Scottish Conservative leader was forced to defend a “heinous” UK Government policy yesterday.

To jeers from opposition MSPs, Ms Davidson insisted the two-child tax credit cap and associated “rape clause” formed part of a drive to reduce the debt burden for future generations.

The Edinburgh MSP was subsequently made to listen to the ordeal suffered by a rape survivor in a letter read out during a Holyrood debate by Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale.

Tax credits are capped at two children under UK Government welfare restrictions, which came into force this month.

But there are exemptions, such as in the case where a claimant can prove that further offspring were a result of rape.

Anyone who says they were raped must provide verification as part of a detailed eight-page form.

The mother-of-four relived how she was raped by one of her closest friends and was then labelled promiscuous by her husband’s family.

The letter detailed how she claimed tax credits after redundancy, before revealing she would not have been able to do so under the new system.

She wrote: “There is no way I could complete that awful form of shame, no matter what the consequences.”

Ms Dugdale said: “This heart breaking letter from a rape victim exposes the reality of the Tory rape clause.”

Given a hostile reception in the chamber, Ms Davidson argued the two-child cap was necessary to reduce UK debt and exemptions like the rape clause were a correct response.

She denied rape victims had to fill out an eight-page form to claim the benefit.

Earlier, Nicola Sturgeon, whose party called the debate, said: “No woman anywhere should have to prove that she has been raped in order to claim tax credits.

The SNP motion, calling on the Conservative Government to remove the two-child cap and scrap the rape clause, was backed by Holyrood.