A heartbroken dad claims Scotland's controversial not proven verdict is set to be scrapped after a summit with justice minister Keith Brown.
Stewart Handling has campaigned against the controversial verdict since the man who supplied the ecstasy pill that killed his 13-year-old daughter Grace walked free.
He has had a personal meeting with Brown over the verdict - and is now convinced it will be scrapped.
The meeting took place as part of a Scottish Government consultation on whether to abolish the country's unique three-verdict system.
Stewart, who will soon be marking what would have been Grace’s 18th birthday, said he hopes a law change will mean that no others have to endure the same heartache as his family.
Grace died in 2018 after taking ecstasy on her last day of the school year.
But the man accused of causing her death, Callum Owens, walked free on a not proven verdict. The jury acquitted him after he told them he allowed Grace to take a pill and woke up to find her cold and lifeless on his living room floor.
He claimed he attempted CPR before fleeing his flat without calling for help, and his trial heard he messaged a friend saying he had “killed a c**t, man”.
Stewart has campaigned for the verdict to be abolished and met with Brown last week.
Stewart, of Irvine, said: “Mr Brown was very receptive to the call to abolish the not proven verdict. I was a wee bit nervous beforehand but we came out very encouraged – it was well worth the journey.
“There seems to be cross-party support for abolishing it, so I don’t think there would be much problem with a vote when it comes to parliament.
“The abolition of the not proven verdict will come too late for Grace, but it might not be too late for someone else’s family or a poor, distressed rape victim who has just bled their heart out telling what happened to them and it’s their word against their attacker.
“In the interests of justice, you’re either guilty or not guilty. It needs to be black and white.
“Hopefully it could be away by the end of the year.”
Stewart said he longs for the day when Owens apologises to him and Grace’s mum over their daughter’s death.
He said: “Forgiveness is a process for me. I don’t want anyone to go to Hell, and that includes him. If he apologised to me and the family, then I would forgive him, but he’s never.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Justice Secretary Keith Brown welcomed the opportunity to meet with families affected by the not proven verdict and hear their views directly.
“Before deciding what reforms, if any, are proposed on these complex matters, it is important that careful consideration is now given to the range of views received in the consultation which recently closed.
“Mr Brown’s discussions with family members, victims and other justice stakeholders, plays an important role as part of that consideration.”
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