Moray 'ahead of game' on domestic violence
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MORAY is "ahead of the game" in progressing Scottish Government-led changes to tackle the scourge of domestic abuse, say police.
The well-attended Moray Violence Against Women and Girls conference (VAWG) was held at Moray College UHI on Tuesday, providing a rounded picture of collaborative efforts to deal with what was once a "hidden" crime.
Attendees heard that 20 per cent of police time was spent on dealing with domestic abuse – with around 60,000 reports of domestic violence every year.
It was a landmark day for Moray Partnership, which launched its multi-agency VAWG strategy and action plan in support of the Scottish Government's Equally Safe agenda to prevent violence against women and young girls.
The conference focused on coercive and controlling behaviours known as "intimate terrorism", and gave a snapshot of progress since the "ground-breaking" Domestic Abuse Scotland Act came into force in April. The legislation covers not only physical abuse, but more subtle patterns of coercive and controlling behaviour, where abusers isolate, humiliate, intimidate, degrade or financially control their victim.
The legislation gives police and prosecutors the tools to hold abusers to account under one charge. So far, 11,000 Police Scotland officers have completed training in the new law.
Moray Partnership chairman Deputy Chief Inspector Kevin Walker said it was not fanciful to strive towards eradicating domestic violence.
He said Moray was "ahead of the game" in terms of progress with partners in its Equally Safe strategy, links had been established with council committees and the partnership action was fully operational.
DCI Walker said: "I think we're ahead of the game in terms of our neighbours in Aberdeenshire and City, who are still trying to get their strategic plans up and running.
"But locally, it's far from job finished.
"When we speak about eradicating domestic abuse it seems a bit fanciful – but we have to move towards that psyche."
DCI Walker added: "Our statistics in north-east division show an increase in reported domestic abuse incidents and, relatively speaking over a five-year average, we think the increase is due to the new Act. We have one of the higher figures in terms of individuals charged for that legislation."
He stressed that although the partnership had some key players on board, it needed to aim for "as wide a reach as we can get" with more co-operation between agencies.
National VAWG co-ordinator Joanna McLaughlin praised "fantastic work" in colleges and universities showing students what coercive control looks like, the launch of Equally Safe at Work within councils, and the Equally Safe Schools Project focusing on what constitutes a positive, healthy relationship with both girls and boys.
Anne Marie Hicks, national procurator fiscal for domestic abuse, said courts had transformed how they dealt with domestic abuse over the last two decades, and added: "The innovative new law has the potential to make a really significant difference in how we tackle domestic abuse and hopefully one day eliminate this as such a common feature in Scottish society."
The delegates were later moved by one man's personal account of such abuse. Ryan Hart's controlling father killed his mother and sister in 2016 after many years of insidious and controlling behaviour.
