Preventing Violence Against Women for an Equally Safe Scotland: Amendment 3

As an amendment to motion S7M-01163 in the name of John Swinney (Preventing Violence Against Women for an Equally Safe Scotland), insert at end “; recognises with concern that crimes of a sexual nature and domestic abuse are increasing in Scotland but that many victims still do not report them to the police; notes that Scottish Government legislation passed in 2023 removed a presumption against bail for those accused of sexual or domestic abuse offences despite warnings from female crime victims and groups representing them that this would cause further harm to women; further notes with concern a 2024 report by HM Inspectorate of Prosecutions in Scotland, which found that bail breaches are not always taken seriously by the justice system; believes that delays in the justice system and a lack of transparency around plea deals between prosecutors and accused criminals continue to cause trauma to victims; further believes that proposals in a recent Scottish Government consultation risk further weakening sentencing by damaging judicial independence and failing to properly punish perpetrators; considers that these proposals are partly as a result of the government’s failure to build sufficient prison capacity in order to keep the public safe; further considers that sentencing guidelines, which recommend non-custodial sentences for criminals aged under 25, are unjust and detrimental to women who have suffered violence or sexual violence by adult males aged under 25, and calls on the Scottish Government to ensure that women and girls are protected by the justice system by reinstating safeguards for bail and remand, treating bail breaches seriously, abandoning its plans for automatic early release for all long-term prisoners and scrapping the under 25 sentencing guidelines.”