Borders MSP Rachael Hamilton is backing her colleague Jamie Greene’s proposal for a Victims Law, and is calling on the SNP to do the same.
Ms Hamilton’s call comes after new figures showed a shocking year-on-year increase in the number of sexual assaults and rapes on females that have occurred in Lothian and the Borders.
The latest figures show that sexual assaults and rapes are occurring on an almost daily basis in the Borders.
In all but one of Scotland’s policing divisions, the number of sexual assaults and rapes on women over the age of 16 has increased in the past 12 months.
In Lothian and the Borders there was an increase of 76 attacks of a sexual nature between 2020/21 and 2021/22.
Ms Hamilton says that the increase is “truly horrifying” and says that all too often women are left without a voice under the SNP’s justice system .
Ms Hamilton says Jamie Greene’s proposal will help women have a voice in court and also scrap the not proven verdict, which has been backed by victims in sexual assault cases.
Scottish Conservative and Unionist MSP Rachael Hamilton said:
“These figures are truly horrifying. It is shocking that an even greater number of women suffered these appalling attacks over the last year, than compared to the previous one.
“Every single one of these cases in the Borders is one too many. I am committed to supporting these women in any way I can to ensure more women don’t have to suffer this way.
“All too often, women in the Borders are left without a voice in our justice system while the SNP government stand by and do nothing to help them and hold the criminals responsible to account.
“That is why I am backing my colleague Jamie Greene’s plans for a Victims Law which would go a long way to support women in Lothian and the Borders. It will give victims the power to make statements in court and scrap the not proven verdict, which has often let down victims in sexual assault cases.
“The more supported women are, the more likely they are to come forward and report these awful crimes, and seek justice for what has happened.
“If SNP ministers are serious about reducing the number of sexual assaults and rape in the Borders then they would stop obsessing over tearing apart our Union, and urgently back plans for a Victims Law."
