£20M Extra To Tackle Domestic Violence

An additional £20 million will be invested in a range of measures to tackle all forms of violence against women and girls in Scotland

The funding, announced by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, is to be put in place over the next three years with the aim of improving support for victims.

It will go towards increasing court capacity, widening access to specialist support services and legal advice, and education around the subject.

Some of the cash will look at working with offenders to address the underlying causes of their behaviour.

It's estimated one in six women are affected by some form of domestic violence.

The First Minister said domestic abuse is a crime that affects 1 in 6 women in our society.

Ms Sturgeon said: “Earlier this week, I announced plans to strengthen the law against domestic abuse. Subject to consultation, we will introduce legislation this year. But changing the law is not enough. We need to do more.

“That is why I am announcing today new funding of £20 million over the next three years to step up our work to tackle violence against women.

“We will invest that money in measures to speed up the court process, give more support to victims, and expand schemes to help offenders change their behaviour and reduce reoffending.”

Where the funding will go:

• Increasing court capacity to reduce delays, inconvenience and stress for victims and their families.
• Widening access to specialist advocacy and support services for the victims of crime, including domestic abuse and sexual offences.
• Expanding access to specialist legal advice to victims of rape and other sexual offences.
• Exploring an expansion to innovative initiatives such as the Caledonian System, which work with men convicted of domestic abuse related offences to address the underlying causes of their behaviour and further protect women.
• Improving education and information resources to help increase public understanding of these crimes and reinforce a zero-tolerance approach to domestic abuse and sexual crimes.