Mum who lost baby at hands of abusive ex takes fight to Holyrood

A PERTH mum who lost her baby after her abusive ex hit her with his car is taking her fight for tougher sentences to Holyrood.

Nicola Murray was six weeks’ pregnant in 2013 when her ex, whose abusive behaviour she had previously reported to police, caused her to lose her unborn child.

After she broke up with him, Nicola’s then partner flew into a fit of rage.

“I got dragged five or six feet across the road. I suffered grazes and cuts, bits of glass were embedded into my legs, arms and my face as well,” she said.

The day after the incident Nicola miscarried.

While the man was prosecuted, pleading guilty to culpable and reckless conduct in 2014, Nicola was left shocked when he was ordered to pay just £300 in compensation.

“The fact that I had miscarried as a result of my injuries, wasn’t taken into account,” she said.

Scotland is the only part of the UK where causing a miscarriage or still birth through violence or abuse is not a specific crime. Abusers are only prosecuted for offences against the victim.

Nicola discovered that in the five years up to 2022, police received more than 7,000 reports of domestic violence where a pregnant women was involved.

It has led to her campaign for a change in legislation to provide for courts to hand out tougher sentences to perpetrators whose abuse causes a miscarriage, still birth or forces a woman to terminate a pregnancy against her will.

She will attend a debate in the Scottish Parliament this afternoon after lodging a petition at Holyrood calling for the creation of a Unborn Victims of Violence Act.

Picture by Steve Macdougall. Nicola Murray.