Rape Crisis Scotland and Scottish Women’s Aid have welcomed an additional £2 million of funding from the Scottish Government.
Rape Crisis Scotland will receive £1,167,000. Their Chief Executive Sandy Brindley said:
“We are delighted that funding has been extended for 10 of our member centres who were facing the most significant issues with waiting lists.
“This funding will help Rape Crisis Centres across Scotland to continue to provide specialist support to survivors of sexual violence that can be truly lifesaving.
“Demand for Rape Crisis support is ever-growing, and it is vital that when survivors reach out for support, they are able to receive it when they need it, not weeks or months later.”
The Delivering Equally Safe fund provides support for women who experience violence. The £2 million for 2024-25 is in addition to £19 million annual funding.
Scottish Women’s Aid will receive £910,703. Their Chief Executive Marsha Scott said:
“This is such welcome news. In this time of rising costs and rising demand, Women’s Aid services in Scotland have never been stretched thinner, and children and women needing support should never have to sit on a waiting list.
“We are grateful not only that the fund has been extended until the end of the next financial year but that the Scottish Government has responded to concerns about inflation and mounting pressure on staff who work so hard to provide sometimes life-saving services.”
Further work to support victims of sexual violence is being piloted in a scheme which will allow victims of rape and serious sexual assault able to access transcripts from their court cases for free.
From the 1st of March 2024 to the 1st of March 2025, £100,000 of funding will enable complainers who have had their cases heard by the High Court to apply for the transcripts of what was said in their court cases free of charge.
Emma Roddick, is the SNP MSP for the Highlands and Islands, and Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees in the Scottish Government. She said:
“For those victims in the Highlands & Islands, this pilot will greatly improve transparency and fairness in the process of achieving retribution.
“The introduction of this scheme would not have been possible without the campaigners from the Highlands & Islands region and the rest of Scotland, who have continued to push for greater fairness, transparency, and accountability in the process of achieving justice – something that can always be improved.
“This scheme, along with the proposed Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill, is designed to improve victims’ experience and increase confidence in the justice system.
“I am pleased to see the SNP Government prioritising the welfare of victims, continuing to remove barriers to justice for victims of sexual assault. I encourage all those in the Highlands & Islands to make use of this fund when needed.”
Cases that began on or after 31 December 2006 are eligible. Complainers in rape or sexual assault cases can apply to get the transcripts free of charge if they are applying in the following circumstances:
- The transcript is for a case heard in the High Court and it involved a charge(s) of rape and/or sexual assault.
- The trial commenced on or after 31 December 2006. This date is informed by the introduction of digital recording within the SCTS.
This applies in cases where verdicts of guilty, not guilty and not proven are returned.
The guidance and application form will be made available on the Scottish Courts and Tribunals website.
Transcripts of evidence in Criminal Trials are governed by Section 94(2) of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 and the Transcripts of Criminal Proceedings (Scotland) Order 1993 and these provisions will apply to applications made as part of the pilot. See Criminal proceedings transcripts for more information on how to request a transcript.
The scheme has been welcomed by campaigners. Campaigner Hannah Stakes said:
“Finally, after half a decade I will receive the documentation that details the two most harrowing incidents in my life – the trial being the worst. Access to these transcripts is a basic human right. This is my information; my life, my story, my body and my DNA. They are a copy of the truth without an agenda and evidence of how severely the system fails victims of sexual assault.
“I want to express my gratitude to the Justice Committee for listening to me back in 2021. This is a vital step towards a fairer and more transparent system.”
Fiona Grahame
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