A bill to tackle the scourge of domestic abuse has gained cross-party support from 41 MSPs representing the SNP, Labour, Liberal Democrats and Scottish Conservatives.
The Domestic Abuse Prevention Bill introduced by Pam Gosal MSP will now move forward to be debated in the Scottish Parliament.
The Scottish Conservative MSP said she hopes her bill will allow Scotland to become a “world-leader in preventing and tackling domestic abuse” crimes, which have reached record highs in recent years.
Scottish Government statistics show there were 64,807 domestic abuse incidents last year, over half of which were repeat offences.
Ms Gosal said she was delighted with the “significant” level of cross-party support for her bill, which far exceeds the 18 MSPs necessary for it to progress.
In addition to Scottish Conservative MSPs, the bill was backed by the SNP’s Kenneth Gibson, Christine Grahame, Michelle Thomson, Ash Regan and Fergus Ewing; Labour’s Daniel Johnson, Neil Bibby, Paul Sweeney, Foysol Choudhury and Monica Lennon; and Beatrice Wishart from the Lib Dems.
Now it has gained cross-party support, the next stage involves the legislation being fully drafted before it is presented to MSPs for debate in the chamber.
Ms Gosal’s bill would introduce a reporting system for domestic abuse, which would take the form of a register, similar to the sex offender’s register.
It would also introduce mandatory rehabilitation measures for offenders convicted of domestic abuse and increase education around the subject, both of which would help to prevent domestic violence from occurring and reduce reoffending rates.
During the consultation process for the bill, 23 organisations voiced support for it, and more than 91 per cent of all respondents to the consultation were supportive, with 86 per cent of respondents saying they were “fully supportive”.
Scottish Conservative MSP, Pam Gosal said: “I am delighted that my bill has achieved significant cross-party support and that we are one step closer to passing this vital legislation.
“Thank you to the many SNP, Labour and Lib Dem MSPs who have put politics to one side and backed my bill so we can help survivors and stop the appalling crime of domestic abuse.
“My bill would create more accessible support for victims, increase public knowledge and awareness of domestic abuse, and provide police with more resources to tackle these awful crimes.
“While there is still some way to go, I hope that one day soon, my bill will become law and Scotland can be a world-leader in preventing and tackling domestic abuse.”