Two Forth Valley politicians have spoken of the terrifying threats they and their families have experienced.
Former Stirling MP Stephen Kerr spoke in the Scottish Parliament this week of being stalked by a man who was recently jailed for three years, while Justice Secretary Keith Brown, MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, referred to his experience of a man threatening to burn down his family home.
Mr Kerr, now a Conservative Central Scotland regional MSP, had asked Mr Brown what plans the Scottish Government had to give victims more involvement in the justice system.
Mr Kerr added: “A couple of weeks ago, a man was sentenced to three years in prison for repeatedly threatening to kill me and my wife.
“On one of the many times that he was arrested, he was on the next street, two minutes from our front doorstep, and I pay tribute to Police Scotland officers for their actions in apprehending him.
“Even though the man has been to court, had his sentencing deferred for background reports and has now been sentenced, to this day not once has anyone in the criminal justice system reached out to me or my wife.
“In fact, it was through a colleague in the Parliament that I learned that the man had appeared in court, because my colleague had read about it in a newspaper.
“What truly worries me is that many of our constituents have had the same experience and have not known where to turn for help.”
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Mr Brown replied: “First, I sympathise with Stephen Kerr’s experience.
“I had a very similar experience, with my family being threatened with having the house burned down by somebody who was subsequently convicted for burning down a house. I know how troubling such experiences can be.
“I concede that not enough is being done to ensure that victims - in this case, victims of a threat - are acknowledged by the criminal justice system in its various forms.
“We are trying to ensure that victims are recognised throughout the whole criminal justice system, although it is worth acknowledging that it is not necessarily a system in that sense; it includes lots of independent parts.
“Some of the points that Stephen Kerr has raised relate to the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service and to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, and I am sure that what he has said will be heard by them.”
Mr Brown welcomed Scottish Government plans to launch restorative justice hubs, which he said related to points made by Mr Kerr.
He added: “If we are to provide meaningful justice for those who come up against the justice system, the system has to be about more than a judicial process that ends with somebody being found guilty or innocent.
“I know that some groups, including women’s groups, have real concerns, although there has been general support for the restorative justice hubs. From talking to victims and survivors of sexual assault and rape, in particular, it is clear that those hubs could meet a need by providing a more meaningful justice outcome at the end of the process, although such an approach could be undertaken only with the consent and active support of victims and survivors.
“We are consulting on potential legislative reforms, including the establishment of a victims commissioner for Scotland, to strengthen victims’ rights and improve their experiences.
“An independent review of the victim notification scheme is under way to ensure that it is serving victims effectively, and we are committed to creating restorative justice services and expanding the use of victim impact statements in court.”
