Women abused by Scottish police officers are backing calls for an independent regulator to be introduced to hold public bodies to account.
Their demands come in the wake of a number of officers being unmasked as criminals. As well as Met officers Wayne Couzens and David Carrick, Police Scotland officers have landed in the dock.
Victims of twisted Fraser Ross and David Taylor believe a new body will help make a difference. Ross, of Motherwell, terrorised ex Anne-Marie Hirdman so much over six years that she thought he would kill her.
She said: “A safeguarding register is a really good idea. The police investigate themselves and that doesn’t work – clearly they have a culture of covering things up.
“I’ve lost all faith in the police. We need them to show they are taking accountability. We also need harsher sentences, more thorough investigations, and a multidisciplinary body would show this is being overseen fairly.
“After three-and-a-half years, I am still fighting the system to deal with my complaints about data protection breaches and how the complaints were dealt with. Survivors are made to feel like we are wasting police time as we are trying to get justice in a system clearly set up in a way to protect them and not us.
"I would welcome third parties and charities being involved. The police only seem to take accountability when the victim is murdered.”
Taylor, of East Kilbride, hounded vulnerable women with sex texts and naked selfies after investigating their cases.
One mum, bombarded after she reported her ex for domestic abuse, said: “I back this 100 per cent. People in authority demand everything be kept hush-hush.
“They use their power over people like me. There are people out there who are not vetted, continually partake in illegal activity yet think they’re entitled.
“My biggest fight against my ex was trying to get them to believe a ‘commoner’ like me against someone in authority.”
The safeguarding register is the brainchild of Alba MP Neale Hanvey, who has written to the First Minister and the Prime Minister outlining his vision.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “There are no current plans for the creation of an independent safeguarding regulator in Scotland.”
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - sign up to our daily newsletter here.
