Orkney MSP Liam McArthur has called for long promised domestic abuse protections to be implemented after backing demands for faster action during a Scottish Parliament debate today.
The Scottish Liberal Democrat says it is unacceptable that Domestic Abuse Protection Notices and Domestic Abuse Protection Orders have still not been rolled out more than five years after Parliament approved them.
The measures are intended to give police and courts powers to remove an alleged domestic abuser from a victim’s home immediately following an incident.
Scottish Liberal Democrats have repeatedly criticised the delay in bringing the protections into force and wrote to the First Minister at the beginning of July seeking a timetable for their implementation.
The party says it has yet to receive a response.
During today’s Holyrood debate on tackling violence against women and girls, McArthur and his Liberal Democrat colleagues also supported a Labour amendment calling for urgent progress on GPS monitoring of suspected domestic abusers released on bail.
For McArthur, the issue has a particular significance in Orkney and other rural and island communities, where victims can face additional barriers when trying to access support.
He said:
“The enduring prevalence of violence against women and girls in Scotland is a blight on our national conscience, and it is one from which no part of our country is immune.
“There is a clear consensus on the need for the Scottish Government to take urgent action to tackle male violence and misogynistic attitudes, and I welcomed the opportunity to support an amendment today calling for the rapid implementation of GPS tracking for suspected domestic abusers on bail.
“But five years on, it is unacceptable that protection orders and notices designed to protect women experiencing domestic abuse have still not been implemented.
“We know that there are unique and specific barriers to support for victims of domestic abuse in rural and island settings, where targeted support is required.
“Women’s Aid Orkney, Orkney Rape and Sexual Assault Service and others do excellent work to support women and girls across our islands, and it is vital they have the resources they need to continue providing that support.
“Women and girls across Scotland deserve to feel safe in their homes, communities and public spaces, and we must do everything we can to make that a reality.”
The intervention puts renewed attention on measures which have already passed through Parliament but have yet to become available to the police, courts and people they were designed to protect.
McArthur is now calling for the Scottish Government to move from legislation to implementation and provide a clear timetable for when those protections will finally come into force.
