SNP soft touch sentencing plans fail Abuse Victims

Tough Action Key to Get More Victims to Come Forward

14 July 2010

Scottish Labour has criticised the SNP’s scrapping of short term sentences as a failure to protect the victims of domestic abuse.

The criticism comes as reports reveal that the number of domestic violence cases has soared by 1,500.

The new presumption against sentences of less than three months, passed by SNP and Liberal Democrat MSPs, could mean that the majority of perpetrators of domestic abuse would escape jail.

68% of those sent to prison for domestic violence got a sentence of less than 3 months.

Scottish Women’s Aid, in their members' assessment of plans to scrap short sentences warned that they wouldn’t work and "most likely make matters worse".

Scottish Labour said that there was no room for complacency on domestic abuse.

Highlands and Islands Labour MSP Rhoda Grant, who has lodged a Parliamentary Bill to protect women from domestic violence, said:

"I believe the perpetrators of these crimes should be sentenced to more than three months in jail but if the sentence is less than three months then they should spend all that time in prison.

"This gives some respite to their victims."

Labour’s Shadow Justice Secretary, Richard Baker MSP, said:
"This is a sizeable increase in these types of crimes and is yet another reminder that there must be no room for complacency on domestic abuse.

"By scrapping jail terms of less than three months, the SNP Government will be letting more perpetrators of this despicable crime skip jail.

"There is no doubt that detection rates are up but to give the victims of abuse full confidence to come forward they must know that the strongest penalty awaits their attackers.

"By scrapping short jail sentences, SNP and Lib Dem MSPs are failing the victims of domestic abuse."

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