Scottish Conservative MSP Pam Gosal has officially launched the consultation for the Domestic Abuse (Prevention) Bill.
The Bill focuses on the fact that half of the 65 thousand domestic abuse incidents in 2020-21 were committed by reoffenders. The Bill therefore would create a Domestic Abuse Register, similar to the Sex Offenders’ Register. The purpose of this register would be to ensure that those on it could not move about the country or begin new relationships unchecked, protecting others from being victims of domestic abuse. In addition, the Bill would require the government to submit reports on how they are working to improve access to domestic abuse services for BAME communities. Finally, the Bill would introduce mandatory education on domestic abuse into the Scottish education system, to ensure that all children are learning about the dangers and impact of domestic abuse.
Domestic violence has been a difficult issue to address due to the lack of conversations held around it. This is especially prevalent among women in ethnic minority communities. Speaking on broader violence against ethnic minority women, the charity ANYISO said:
“Women are finding it difficult to speak up due to shame, fear of honour-based violence, discrimination and being isolated from their own communities”.
A Scottish Government report agreed with this analysis, stating that while there was no difference in domestic abuse rates by ethnicity, BAME women may be more likely to encounter difficulties leaving abusive situations, due in part to cultural beliefs but also a lack of appropriate services. This second point is addressed in the Bill, by requiring the Scottish Government to report the ways in which it is making domestic abuse support more accessible to BAME Scots.
By ensuring all children are educated on domestic abuse, the Bill has the potential to open up conversations on the topic, making it easier to both spot signs of abuse, and to speak out about it without fear of reprisal.
Upon announcing the Bill, Gosal said:
“I am delighted to announce our plans to create a domestic abuse register, which would give police and local authorities a powerful tool to prevent abuse. The SNP have spent years putting criminals ahead of victims, and domestic abusers have been allowed to roam free in our communities undetected. This register will put an end to that.”
“We will also introduce designated BAME engagement officers, to ensure that support is accessible for every community in Scotland. Domestic abuse is a stain on our society – the Scottish Conservatives will ensure that victims, not criminals, are at the heart of our justice system.”
As MSP Pam Gosal’s first member’s Bill to be proposed, the Domestic Abuse (Prevention) Bill would help tackle two problems which have hindered progress on limiting such abuse: the lack of supervision given to those convicted of domestic abuse, and a lack of education being given to children on domestic abuse. With other parties broadly supportive of a domestic abuse register being implemented in Scotland, the Bill is likely to receive constructive debate in the future.