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National Focus: Stories from Scotland

Free Court Transcripts for Rape Victims to be Introduced in Scotland

Made effective 1 March, 2024, a new pilot scheme in Scotland allows victims of rape and sexual assault to gain access to court transcripts in the High Court free of charge. The scheme aims to improve “sexual offence victim’s experience of the justice system so they can have confidence in it”, according to Justice Secretary Angela Constance. Previously, those seeking possession of transcripts were charged a fee of approximately £90 per hour; the Scottish Government has pledged to provide £100,000 in funding and is the first in the UK to introduce the initiative. Sandy Brindley, Rape Crisis Scotland Chief Executive, said the scheme would support and accommodate all survivors. She said, “These fees were simply out of reach for many,” adding, “Accessing justice should never have a price tag.” 


XL Bully Dog Ban Implemented by Scottish Government

On 23 February, 2024, Scotland joined the UK Government in placing stringent restrictions on the ownership of XL Bully dogs. The law now prohibits the breeding, selling, or exchanging of XL Bully dogs, requiring owners to muzzle and leash them when in public or a car. The law takes effect after numerous XL Bully Dogs were linked to human fatalities, including the death of Adam Watts who was killed by an XL Bully Dog at his kennel in December 2021. Starting 1 August, 2024, it will be a criminal offence to own an XL Bully dog without possessing or having applied for an exemption certificate. First Minister Humza Yusef announced Scotland would apply the same rules as England and Wales to “ensure public safety” after journeys across the border to Scotland to evade their laws, enforced in December 2023, were reported. The Scottish SPCA has voiced criticism of the ban, arguing that the law will not solve “preventing dog control issues,” but pledge compliance with the legislation as a “responsible charity.” 


Police Scotland Face Backlash as 19-year-Old Murder Case is Finally Solved

The murderer of 27-year-old sex worker Emma Caldwell has been convicted almost 19 years after her body was found naked in remote woods in South Lanarkshire on 8 May, 2005. Murderer Iain Packer, 51, was also found guilty of 33 charges of physical and sexual assaults against 22 women. He has received the second-longest custodial sentence in Scottish history of 36 years in prison before the possibility of parole. Caldwell’s family branded Police Scotland’s failure to bring her murderer to justice as deeply rooted in a “toxic culture of misogyny and corruption.” BBC Scotland revealed how four former senior detectives “repeatedly dismissed him (Packer) as a suspect,” despite former colleagues voicing how “evidence of Iain Packer’s violent, abusive and predatory behaviour was known to police from the start of the investigation.” Police Scotland issued an apology, stating that Caldwell and others affected “were let down by policing in 2005. For that we are sorry." 


More information on the issues raised in this article can be accessed by Rape Crisis Scotland on their website https://www.rapecrisisscotland.org.uk/help-helpline/ or by calling the National Rape Crisis Helpline on 08088 01 03 02. Advice and support on reporting sexual assault from the University can be found by visiting https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/students/sexual-misconduct/


Image by Wikimedia Commons

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