News
Statement on Emma Ritch Clinic
We’re delighted that the Emma Ritch Clinic, a new law clinic offering independent legal advice to survivors of sexual violence, will be established at the University of Glasgow.
Cost should not be a barrier to justice
Justice should not have a price tag.
Successful Civil Rape Case Exposes Cracks in Criminal System
The second ever Scottish successful civil damages case for rape following an unsuccessful criminal prosecution has been announced, marking a significant day for survivors and justice in Scotland.
Response to Updated Paper from the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research
“We welcome this updated paper on court delays and the impact of these on victim-survivors of sexual crimes from the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research. It adds growing weight to the calls for real, urgent action.
Rape Crisis Scotland: Survivors speak out on Policing in Scotland
Rape Crisis Scotland have today (3rd November) released a powerful report by survivors of rape, sexual violence, and abuse on Police Responses in Scotland. The Survivor Reference Group (SRG) report details experiences of Police responses to reports of sexual crimes and makes critical recommendations that – if implemented - could transform survivors’ experiences of reporting sexual violence.
Rape Crisis Scotland releases report on privacy rights for complainers of sexual offences in Scotland
Reporting sexual crime and going through the resulting
criminal justice processes can be a daunting process.
Of particular
concern to survivors of sexual crime is the prospect of their sexual history or
personal aspects of their lives being brought up in court. There have
been some key decisions by the courts in recent years which have highlighted
the rights of complainers to privacy and raised important questions about how
we assist complainers to assert these rights.
Specialist court recommended for sexual offences
A cross-justice Review Group, chaired by the Lord Justice Clerk, Lady Dorrian, has recommended that a new, national specialist Court with trauma-informed procedures be created to deal with serious sexual offence cases in Scotland.
Sandy Brindley, Chief Executive said: "The conviction rate for rape and attempted rape in Scotland is lower than for any other crime type. This has remained stubbornly the case, despite all previous efforts to address it.
Legal Opinion: Scottish Government's response to the prosecution of serious sexual crime in times of Covid-19 ‘could be unlawful’
Rape Crisis Scotland has today released a legal opinion showing the Scottish Government’s response to the prosecution of serious sexual crime in times of Covid-19 ‘could be unlawful’.
Rape Crisis Scotland calls for radical changes to sexual offence trials
In an extraordinary judgment today, Lord Carloway, the Lord Justice General, Scotland’s most senior judge has vehemently condemned the manner in which all of the lawyers, prosecution, defence and presiding Judge, treated a victim of serious sexual crime during the trial of her assailant, Gavin MacDonald, who was thirty years her senior. The judge explained that if the circumstances of this case were to be repeated the, “situation in sexual offences trials would be unsustainable”.
RCS urges MSPs to support Coronavirus (Scotland) Bill provisions
Briefing Coronavirus (Scotland) Bill | Rape Crisis Scotland
Guide to the criminal justice system for survivors of sexual violence: updated
Rape Crisis Scotland have today (Wednesday 10th July 2019)
launched an updated video guide to the criminal
justice system for survivors of
sexual violence, featuring key people that survivors will come into contact
with during the justice process.
This includes a specially trained police officer, a rape crisis advocacy
worker, a Procurator Fiscal, a defence lawyer, an advocate for the prosecution
and a judge.
Fairness, dignity and justice - changing Scotland's response to sexual crimes
A judicially led review, chaired by the Lord Justice Clerk Lady Dorrian, will develop new proposals for how sexual offences are dealt with within the Scottish Criminal Justice System.
New figures show almost 1 in 5 trials for rape/attempted result in Not Proven
Tackling barriers to strategic court cases in Scotland
Today sees the publication of a new report,
Overcoming Barriers
to Public
Interest Litigation in Scotland, which explores why
there is a lack of strategic court action in Scotland and suggests recommendations
to address this.
It suggests key
barriers are:
A letter to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service
We write to express our significant concern with respect to your letter
dated 8th of March outlining the shift in approach of the Crown Office
in dealing with reluctant complainers in rape cases, effective from
today, and ask that you urgently reconsider this change to policy.
We share the knowledge that rape is an awful crime that can leave a
lasting and profound impact on those who experience this violence. It is
no secret that the concept of justice is one that is frequently far
removed from the reality of survivors of sexual violence in Scotland
today. I know you are also aware of the many barriers that stand in the
way for those who pursue justice and even though considerable work has
been done to address and remove these obstacles there remains a stubborn
gap between those who experience sexual violence and their ability to
access justice and we are clear that there is much more to do.
RSSLatest posts
- Our statement on new figures on conviction rates for rape in Scotland
- Our response to the Stage One Report on the Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform Bill
- New guidance for tackling gender-based violence in schools launched
- Funding extended for essential Rape Crisis services
- Our statement on the conclusion of the Emma Caldwell trial
