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First ever sentencing guidelines for rape published

The Scottish Sentencing Council (SSC) has published the first ever draft guidelines on sentencing for rape.

We welcome these guidelines and hope they will lead to fairer and more transparent sentencing.

It's essential that the views of survivors are taken into account in finalising these guidelines and we encourage survivors to contribute their views by responding to the SSC's consultation. The consultation is open until 18 October 2024. 

The guidelines have a significant focus on the harm caused by the crime. A victim impact statement often plays a significant role in assessing the extent of this harm. More support is needed for survivors to go through the process of completing their victim impact statements, a process which can be very difficult and distressing. This is especially important if the content of the statement is to have a direct impact on a sentence, as these guidelines propose.

We also support survivors' calls to have the right to read out victim impact statements in court should they wish to do so, as they do in England and Wales.