‘We are not doing enough to protect women and girls’: MSPs call for action not words on domestic abuse

The death of Adrienne McCartney must be the catalyst for a new commission to curb the toll inflicted by domestic violence, according to Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton.

He has written to the first minister urging action in response to our reports last week revealing how the 38-year-old had died after being physically and psychologically abused by her husband before being failed by police, prosecutors and the NHS.

The shocking litany of official failure was raised at the Scottish Parliament last week and prompted cross-party calls for effective, concerted action.

Adrienne died in her home in August after taking a lethal mixture of drugs and alcohol less than a year after, interviewed by The Post, she spoke out about her experience of abuse and the agencies meant to protect and support her.

She detailed the physical and psychological injury inflicted by her husband and how, when he was taken to court, a plea deal led to the most serious charges being dropped in error and the fiscal fail to ask for the protection order explicitly requested. She also told of the alleged complacency of police when she reported apparent threats from her husband.

We reported her death as experts warned there are many more “hidden victims”, whose deaths are linked to domestic abuse but never appear in official statistics.

On Thursday, Nicola Sturgeon, responding to a question from Scottish Conservative Shadow Justice Secretary Jamie Greene, said: “I don’t believe Scotland, or any country for that matter, does enough when it comes to preventing and responding to domestic abuse.

“The justice system has a very large part to play in all of that. But we need to do more to tackle the behaviours that cause domestic abuse and prevent it.”

I raised the heartbreaking case of Adrienne McCartney who was let down after horrific domestic abuse. Were it not for the @Sunday_Post and @ladymcbeth2 splashing this on the front page of newspapers, these stories may never be heard.

Domestic abuse is never acceptable. #FMQs pic.twitter.com/vX0bcA3vHu

— Jamie Greene MSP (@jamiegreeneUK) November 24, 2022

Afterwards both Greene and Cole-Hamilton said action not words was now required. Cole-Hamilton has called for a national policy commission bringing together experts, victims and their families to develop better strategies to end violence.

He said: “Following Sarah Everard’s murder in 2021, we called on the Scottish Government to create a commission to look at all aspects of preventing male violence against women and girls.

“Since then, there seems to have been little progress and despite supportive noises from the then justice secretary, we’ve seen no government action.”

He added: “I’ve now written to the first minister urging her to act, telling her quite simply that we cannot go on like this. We owe it to the memory of Adrienne McCartney, Louise Aitchison, Sarah Everard and the many other women to act now.

“France has already brought in much tougher laws to end domestic abuse, with perpetrators receiving up to 10 years in jail if victims die from a domestic abuse related suicide. Scotland is not doing anywhere near enough to protect its women and girls.”

© Andrew Cawley

Greene, 42, who witnessed domestic abuse within his own family while growing up in Greenock, said Sturgeon’s promises were meaningless if they did not precede effective action.

He said: “We didn’t hear any denials or defence from the first minister but, significantly, we didn’t hear her answer my question.

“Just what is the government doing to fully investigate what happened to Adrienne, and what are they actually doing to prevent any repeat of such a tragedy? The justice minister needs to explain why it happened and what is being done. I grew up in a home where there was domestic abuse. I know only full well what effect that has on a family, even although my mother tried desperately to shield me from some of the worst violence.

“Domestic abuse is one of the biggest threats to society today.

“We need to deal with it at that level. It affects the victim of abuse, and everyone around them. I’m still affected by what happened to me as a child. Every child in that situation is.

“That is why this is not just a justice issue. It’s an issue for all of us.

“Scotland has a massive problem with alcohol and drugs. We talk about that. But, for some reason, we’re not prepared to face up to the fact we have the same massive problem with domestic abuse.”

For Adrienne, a victim betrayed: Woman who suffered domestic abuse dies after litany of failure by prosecutors and police

Labour’s community safety spokeswoman Katy Clark said: “I’ve frequently called for the Scottish Government to analyse and evaluate the outcomes of specialist domestic abuse courts, particularly Edinburgh and Glasgow, with a view to rolling them out across the country.

“Violence, and the fear of violence, affects all women. I will be raising Adrienne’s case with the Scottish Government directly and demanding that progress is made so these types of incidents do not reoccur.”

‘Women are still dying because police are still thinking: Oh, it’s just a domestic’: Expert’s call for urgent reform

Meanwhile, Adrienne’s lawyer, domestic abuse specialist Tony Bone, said police and prosecutors were still making the same mistakes today.

Bone said: “I keep hearing that lessons will be learned. But unacceptable practises of the past still happen daily.

“Unless we face up to that and act decisively, there will be more deaths like Adrienne’s.”