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National standards for forensic examination
National standards for forensic examination
Ensuring support for victims of sexual assault.
New nationwide standards are being introduced to ensure consistent delivery of forensic medical examinations for victims of sexual violence.
Healthcare Improvement Scotland has been commissioned to produce the standards, which will ensure best practice is applied when examining victims following a rape or sexual assault – including the conditions and way examinations are handled.
Fall in number of prosecutions and convictions for rape and attempted rape
New figures released by the Scottish Government show a 16% drop in the number of convictions for rape and attempted rape in 2015/16. The number of cases prosecuted has also fallen.
Rape is a crime which can take a great deal of courage to report. It is worrying to such a small proportion of reported rapes and attempted rapes are ever prosecuted. Rape complainers tell us how devastating it can be to be informed that their cases is not going to court. It is no wonder that some rape survivors are turning to the civil courts to seek justice, as we saw yesterday with the very brave action by Denise Clair.
One of the biggest barriers to rape cases reaching court is the requirement in Scots law for corroboration, which disproportionately affects crimes such as rape and domestic abuse. We believe that it is time for the Scottish Government to look again at removing the requirement for corroboration.
Rape Crisis Scotland hails landmark ruling in Scotland’s first civil action for damages for rape
Press statement 17th January 2017
Rape Crisis Scotland hails landmark ruling in Scotland’s first civil action in living memory for damages for rape
Today David Goodwillie and David Robertson were ruled to be rapists and ordered to pay £100,000 in damages to the woman they raped.
New resource from Scottish Women's Rights Centre
The Scottish Women’s Rights Centre (SWRC) has developed a legal guide for survivors of gender based violence who are experiencing harassment.
The ‘Stopping Harassment’ legal guide explains how to obtain protective orders to improve women’s safety and will be a helpful resource for any woman living with stalking or harassment or for professionals who may have a role in supporting survivors.
Four new resources for families & friends
To mark the 16 Days of Action Against Violence Against Women 2016, the Rape Crisis Scotland Helpline has launched new resources which seek to recognise and enhance the valuable support which survivors often receive from their family and friends.
Four new resources have been developed to highlight the impact of sexual violence on survivors and their supporters, with helpful ideas for supporting those who have been affected and self care tips for those with a supportive role.
The series includes separate resources for Parents & Carers, for Partners, for Friends and for Young People who are supporting a friend. We are very grateful to the workers within the rape crisis network in Scotland who contributed to the development of these resources.
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