Bain warns of rising cases of violence against women and girls

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Speaking at the Law Society of Scotland’s annual conference, Ms Bain detailed the nine per cent increase in domestic abuse cases to 33,000 last year and the rise in alleged sexual assaults by 18 per cent.

She said: “I take the responsibility very seriously. That responsibility is immense.

“Worldwide, a large section of society is not experiencing justice, predominantly women and girls who are subjected to violence and abuse and those who have suffered childhood physical and sexual abuse.”

Ms Bain said: “It is also important to understand the severe and lasting impact that domestic violence and sexual offending can have on victims and their families in terms of their physical, mental, sexual and reproductive health.”

She cited the rape and murder of Sarah Everard in London, but added: “Let’s not forget, in Scotland we have numerous similar examples of horrific murders of women and girls.

“Esther Brown and Alesha Macphail are only two of the 17 murders of women and girls committed in Scotland in a period of three years before November 2021.

“My own experience of prosecuting serious sexual crimes for many years during my period of public service as an advocate includes Peter Tobin for the brutal rape and murder of Angelika Kluk and paedophiles (William) Lauchlan and (Charles) O’Neill for the murder of Alison McGarrigle, the mother of a young boy they were sexually abusing whose body sadly has never been found.

“They have given me a depth of insight into the nature of sexual offences and the immense challenges faced by victims in coming forward to the police and reporting these crimes.

“The skills and experience I gained during the many years I was prosecuting these cases in the High Court were important.

“The nature of sexual offences makes them different from other crimes. This is because of the higher risk of retraumatisation of victims through the criminal justice process and the impact on the person’s physical and mental health and their present and future relationships.”