£8.5 million to improve services for sex crime victims

The Scottish Government is set to spend £8.5 million to improve forensic medical examinations and other health services for victims of rape and sexual assault.

This financial year, £2.5 million will go towards recruiting staff, providing training and building facilities.

The remaining £6 million will be split equally between 2019-20 and 2020-21.

It will help ensure standards introduced last year – including stopping victims having forensic medical examinations in police stations – are implemented.

Rape Crisis Scotland said the changes were “welcome but long overdue” and said Scotland still has a long way to go to achieve a nationwide minimum standard.

The cash will support the work of the government’s Rape and Sexual Assault Victims Taskforce, set up last year following a critical watchdog report on the quality and availability of forensic medical services for sex crime victims.

A consultation is under way on draft guidelines on healthcare for victims.