Charity tells of pleas for help over domestic hell

services were forced to operate a waiting list for refuge spaces in 2018-19. It is urging the Scottish Government and councils to “do their part” and provide enough cash so anyone who needs help can get it without having to wait.

On one day last year, SWA was unable to provide shelter for 58 per cent of women and 38 per cent of kids and young folk seeking refuge, the report said.

The charity said that despite year-on-year increases in demand for help, “funding for our services is insufficient due to funding cuts, freezes and the nature of short-term, precarious funding”.

Scottish Government statistics show that in 2018-19, there were 60,641 incidents of domestic abuse recorded by police – but the report stresses “most domestic abuse is not reported to the police”.

The charity said 79 per cent of its services have received no increase in funding or have seen funding cut – on average by 10 per cent. The report highlights a “stark increase in waiting time for women and children to access a refuge”.

Ash Kuloo, of SWA, said: “It is women, children and young people experiencing domestic abuse who bear the brunt of cuts to funding.”

The Scottish Government said it was committed to tackling all forms of domestic abuse, adding that its new £13million Delivering Equally Safe Fund “will provide more support for services to protect women and girls from violence”.