Campaigning to make Non-Harassment Orders a mandatory right of victims in the sentencing of sexual & domestic abuse cases in Scotland‼️ #NHOsNow
Scotland, United Kingdom
Joined September 2024
- Tweets419
- Following429
- Followers99
- Likes335
Pinned Tweet
An update on the changes this bill will make to Non-Harassment Orders. chng.it/LXWPLBRjWR
The result of the Stage 3 vote on the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill is:
✅ Yes - 71
❌ No - 46
🟣 Abstain - 1
The bill is therefore passed.
You can find out more online at ow.ly/uulb50WYb0b
1
2
328
NHOsNow retweeted
A shortage of legal aid for vulnerable women is reaching “crisis” levels in Scotland, lawyers and campaigners have warned.
i.stv.tv/47Am64B
NHOsNow retweeted
30 years working in this sector. Horrendous challenges every day for survivors. These cuts will impact safety for our most vulnerable. These cuts devalue a specialist workforce, predominantly women.
NHOsNow retweeted
Let me get this clear:
We're in midst of "epidemic" of violence against women
We're fixing equal pay injustice for women
...by forcing pay cuts on domestic abuse workers supporting women?!
Domestic abuse workers face £11k pay cut in new Council scheme
bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq36…
NHOsNow retweeted
EXC: Nine in ten girls and women under 35 at Scotland’s largest rape crisis centre report strangulation.
Some are just 15.
The figures emerge the day after John Swinney led Holyrood’s debate on violence against women and girls.
@heraldscotland
heraldscotland.com/news/2655…
NHOsNow retweeted
Extreme porn has 'normalised' violence against women, leading KC warns bbc.in/4yBBTeU
NHOsNow retweeted
It is good that this is being looked at, and a credit to those who have campaigned for it. Protecting the safety and rights of the child is profoundly important.
Review of sex offenders' parental rights a 'huge relief', says Fife mum
news.stv.tv/scotland/mum-bat…
Can’t say how heartbreaking it is to see funding cuts to critical domestic abuse court advocacy services that are already stretched beyond belief. Frontline workers are essential to accessing justice & often the only valuable touchpoint for victims. glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasg…
This comes just weeks after @JohnSwinney met with victims services and pledged his support to the @ItsTimeCampaign. It is imperative that the services & individuals already making a difference to victims can continue to do so whilst earning a fair wage.
16
Long time coming.
We will be keeping a close eye on how these guidelines, informed by our contribution to the VWJR bill, alter sentencing in rape cases.
Protective measures designed to keep victims safe cannot cease after conviction.
Changes to the way courts deal with non-harassment orders (NHOs) in rape cases come into effect today.
The Council has updated its sentencing guidelines on rape offences to reflect the legal changes: tinyurl.com/3myxeav7
In 2021 messages were shown in court in which my rapist had bragged to a stranger about ‘choking’ me. It added no weight to his sentence whatsoever, even though it could have cost me my life. I can only hope the landscape is changing.
In a Crown Appeal against sentence the Appeal Court has again emphasised that choking, strangulation and other forms of neck compression constitute a serious crime which merits severe punishment and that consent is not a defence.
bit.ly/45XGZpo
An interesting outcome, not only for the message it sends about the seriousness of strangulation but also because it is a rare example of where the decision to refuse a Non-Harassment Order has been revisited and subsequently amended.
In a Crown Appeal against sentence the Appeal Court has again emphasised that choking, strangulation and other forms of neck compression constitute a serious crime which merits severe punishment and that consent is not a defence.
bit.ly/45XGZpo
41
NHOsNow retweeted
We saw signs of domestic abuse, but we didn't know how to protect Stacy bbc.in/3SWrf2X
No victim should have to look over their shoulder, change their routine or live in fear of crossing paths with the person who harmed them.
That’s exactly why we’re campaigning for non-harassment orders to be a mandatory right for victims when their perp is convicted in Scotland.
I'm determined that no victim should have to look over their shoulder, change their routine, or live in fear of crossing paths with the person who harmed them.
That's why we're introducing tough new restrictions on sexual and violent offenders, confining them to areas just a few miles wide and using GPS technology to monitor their movements. Victims will have a say in setting these boundaries, giving them greater freedom, peace of mind and the confidence to get on with their lives.
It's simple: offenders should carry the consequences of their crimes, not their victims.
NHOsNow retweeted
I can’t believe the amount of laws that have to be invented just to stop men from being absolutely depraved
Warning: This video contains images and content that viewers may find distressing.
It’s currently legal in the UK to buy "child sex dolls", and Sky News has found websites openly advertising sex dolls that appear childlike. A Lib Dem MP is looking to change the law to make it illegal to buy, sell or own these dolls.
@LucyJMcDaid reports
A series of tragic news this week that must raise serious questions about the adequacy of the safeguarding measures afforded to victims in Scotland. How many lives need to be senselessly and avoidably taken before we recognise this as an emergency?
Man found dead with murdered wife had been accused of attacking her bbc.in/44VUdm1
NHOsNow retweeted
The police watchdog is investigating the force's actions in the lead-up to the death of Vikki Soloman, allegedly killed by her ex-partner in Edinburgh on Monday 20 July, after confirming Police Scotland were contacted before the day she was killed.
bbc.com/news/articles/ckg352…
In a statement released earlier this week, Vikki's family said they were "determined to pursue justice for Vikki" after she died "so young and in such tragic circumstances".
NHOsNow retweeted
In Scotland, police recorded nearly 64,000 incidents of domestic abuse in 2023–24 and we know that this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the true scale of domestic abuse.
Most abuse happens behind closed doors, which is why raising awareness of support services matters so much.
Sharing information could help someone recognise abuse, reach out for support, or realise they’re not alone.
Please help us spread the word by sharing the contact details for Scotland’s Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline. Confidential support is available 24/7 for anyone affected, as well as friends, family and professionals supporting them.
📞 0800 027 1234
💬 Text/WhatsApp: 07401 288595
🌐 sdafmh.org.uk/
#HelpingSpotlight
NHOsNow retweeted
The inspectorate's report on CPS victim communication shows a disappointing lack of progress.
Victims have a right to understand decisions that affect them, and to have those decisions communicated with compassion, clarity, and care. This is not good enough. They must do better.
Judicial discretion must be tightly balanced with accountability. Outcomes for victims should be predictable, not a pot-luck based the judge allocated to your case.
The victim's father decried a "lack of judicial accountability"
"If there's no accountability, what does it matter what I pass if I'm a judge?" he added.
news.sky.com/story/fordingbr…
26