Consign violence against women to the history books and implement domestic abuse protections

Speaking ahead of a debate in the Scottish Parliament on preventing violence against women and girls, Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Yi-pei Chou Turvey has called on the government to finally implement promised protections and “consign this violence to the history books”.

The party has repeatedly criticised the delayed implementation of Domestic Abuse Protection Notices and Domestic Abuse Protection Orders, which give police and courts the power to remove a domestic abuser from a victim’s home immediately after an incident.

These protections have still not been rolled out, despite parliament passing them over five years ago.

At the start of July, Scottish Liberal Democrats wrote to the First Minister, asking him if he would set out a timeline for bringing them into force. As at the time of writing, he has yet to respond.

Ms Chou Turvey has now sought an urgent meeting with Scottish Justice Secretary, Neil Gray, to discuss exactly how the government plans to implement promised measures.

Yi-pei Chou Turvey MSP said:

“I wish we could say this kind of violence, and the misogyny that underpins it, is a thing of the past, but the truth is that it remains depressingly prevalent in Scotland today.

“The female victims of murder, rape, sexual assault, domestic abuse and coercive control appear on the front pages of our newspapers with a grim regularity.

“This is an important moment for the parliament to agree that we must use every lever at our disposal to tackle violence against women and girls.

“That should begin with ministers finally providing a timeline for implementing domestic abuse protections, promised more than five years ago, and explaining, in detail, how they will provide the support that victims need.

“We need to consign this violence to the history books, and the only way we do that is by moving well-meaning words into action, delivering for women and girls suffering right now, and building a better future for us all.”