WE’LL BANISH THE ABUSERS
Legislation aims to bar suspects from home to give victims breathing space
New laws allowing domestic abusers to be removed from homes will be introduced to the Scottish Parliament within weeks, the Sunday Mail can reveal.
Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf ’s legislation will give sweeping powers to police and courts to protect victims.
If passed, the Domestic Abuse Bill will allow officers to issue a short-term notice instantly barring a suspected abuser from a property.
Police will then be able to apply to a court for a protective order, preventing the suspect’s return for up to two months.
Yousaf said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has shone a light on the vulnerabilities of some people in our communities – not least those who endure domestic abuse, whether physical, psychological or coercive, controlling behaviour.
“The Scottish Government is taking firm action to tackle this wicked blight.
“From our Equally Safe Strategy and record funding to tackle violence against women and girls to the ground-breaking legislation which, in 2019, made psychological abuse a crime, we are doing all we can to consign domestic abuse and gender- based violence and discrimination to history.
“This Domestic Abuse Bil l is important because it lifts the burden of action from those already suffering or at risk from abuse by giving greater powers to police to intervene where necessary.
“This gives victims vital breathing space, free from an abuser’s coercion and control, to decide the best future option for them with support from vital frontline specialist services if needed.” The legislation – included in last week’s programme for government – will also make it easier for social landlords to transfer the tenancy of a perpetrator to the victim of abuse. Yousaf will also fund research into victims’ experience of the justice system. A team at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) will focus on coercive control and stalking victims.
The Scottish Government has previously given a £1.5 million funding packa package to Scottish Women’s Aid and
Rape Crisis Scotland. Dr Marsha Scott, chief executive of Scottish Women’s Aid, said: “Domestic abuse is the leading cause of women’s homelessness in Scotland, with women experiencing domestic abuse often having to choose between staying in the home with a perpetrator or making themselves and their children homeless to get away from the abuse.
“We have long said that protective orders would make an immediate and significant difference for those women and children, offering them breathing space as they seek support and safety.
“Survivors have asked for years why should those being abused, rather than the perpetrator, have to leave their homes, pets and belongings? We don’t think that they should and we very much welcome this legislation, which will be a step in the right direction towards changing that.”
Dr Nancy Lombard, reader in sociology and social Policy at GCU, will lead the research project.
She said: “The study will explore the lived experiences of victims of stalking and coercive control as they navigate their way through the justice system.
“It is important to recognise that, despite victim-centred policy priorities and support, the abuse may persist beyond conviction, sentencing and punishment. As such, victims can continue to feel disempowered and controlled. We want to enable those women to have their say.”