Tag: trauma

Understanding women’s experience of justice

‘Reducing re-traumatisation will promote equality’ – report

Work to reduce the re-traumatisation of victims and witnesses of crime will help promote equality in Scotland’s justice system, according to some of the most senior women leaders in the sector.

Solicitor General Ruth Charteris KC, Chief Superintendent Hilary Sloan from Police Scotland and Jen Ang of the Scottish Women’s Rights Centre are among eight co-authors of an independent report that aims to help give policy-makers and agencies a clearer understanding of how women’s experiences of justice differs from men and what can be done to improve those experiences.

Commissioned through the Women in Justice Leadership Panel, the report brings together evidence gathered from across Scotland’s justice system. Its findings conclude that supporting women in ways which met their individual needs could have a powerful impact of on their perception of justice – leading to greater trust in the system.  

The conclusions back Scottish Government-funded work already underway to embed trauma-informed practice across the justice system – a key aim of the Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill.

The report is being shared with the National Advisory Council on Women and Girls, which advises the First Minister on how to tackle gender inequality in Scotland.  

Minister for Victims and Community Safety Siobhian Brown said: “I am grateful to the senior female leaders in Scotland’s justice sector who have taken the time to examine the system in the round.

“Their report puts forward the case for policy-making within justice that reflects women’s various social identities, such as race, disability or religion, so that their experiences can be improved.

“I thank everyone who contributed to the report, since it is their specialist knowledge and testimonies which have provided a clear and unambiguous foundation to inform and influence key justice partners and beyond.

“The conclusions are owned by the Panel members, who will use their influence and positions to effect change. These findings will help the Scottish Government change and deliver a justice sector which is truly responsive to the needs of women and girls.”

Read ’The Case for Gendered and Intersectional Approaches to Justice’ 

Virtual reality helping victims to understand courtroom process

Victims and witnesses are set to use virtual reality headsets to familiarise themselves with giving evidence in court as part of a pioneering Scottish Government initiative to allay fears or discomfort around the process.

Ahead of giving evidence in court, the world-leading £500,000 virtual court project will allow victims to ‘walk through’ a 3-dimensional world, comprising actual videos of the court building where their case will be held. The system uses cutting-edge software to allow victims and witnesses to interact in a virtual environment that includes depictions of the people and objects they can expect to encounter when they go to court.

The project will enable victims and witnesses to be supported at all times by Victim Support Scotland (VSS) volunteers as they experience the virtual court environment. This will remove the need to travel to court prior to their hearing date, while allowing people to familiarise themselves with what can be an unfamiliar, daunting and often retraumatising environment.

The project – a partnership between VSS, tech provider Immersonal and CivTech, the world’s first successful public-sector-focused innovation accelerator – has delivered a working prototype for Glasgow Sheriff Court and the High Court in Glasgow with wider development and roll out over the next year. 

Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs Angela Constance said: “We continue to put victims at the heart of the criminal justice system, their needs are an absolute priority.

“However victims and witnesses can naturally find giving evidence a daunting prospect. This unique project, using innovative technology to support and prepare victims for attending court, could prove transformative.

“It has the potential to reduce anxiety and additional trauma, and also reduces the need to travel often long distances for victims to familiarise themselves with a new environment before experiencing it ‘in real life’.

“We hope that this will reduce retraumatisation and anxiety, supporting victims to give the highest quality evidence.

“This project is part of the Scottish Government‘s wider work that has seen more than £93 million invested through the justice budget over the past five years to prioritise victims’ rights and needs. Our Victim Centred Approach Fund continues this important commitment, making £48 million available to victims’ organisations.”

Chief Executive of Victim Support Scotland Kate Wallace said: “Victims and witnesses often tell us of the retraumatising effects caused by giving evidence in court and that it can cause as much anxiety as the crime itself. 

“Victim Support Scotland strongly advocates for victims being able to give evidence remotely and in trauma-informed environments. 

“This virtual reality experience will provide just that and can be accessed through a headset available with the help of volunteers from Victim Support Scotland, as well as through laptops, smart phones and tablets thereby offering more choice and access about how to prepare for court at a time and place that suits the victim.”

Trauma framework launched

Minister for Mental Health, Maureen Watt has launched a new training resource to help meet the needs of people affected by trauma and abuse. The National Knowledge and Skills Framework for Trauma is designed to support people working in the public and third sectors in Scotland to support those affected by trauma, their families, carers and supporters. Continue reading Trauma framework launched