Justice for Layla: Change Scotland’s Law for Babies Lost Through Domestic Abuse

My name is Jemma, and this petition is for my beautiful daughter, Layla-Rose.

Layla was loved from the moment I knew she existed. She had ten tiny fingers, ten perfect toes and the sweetest little button nose. She was my baby girl, my daughter, and she deserved a chance at life.

She should have had the opportunity to open her eyes, take her first breath and spend a lifetime surrounded by love.

Instead, her life was taken before she ever had that chance.

On 30 September 2022, while I was pregnant with Layla, I was assaulted by my former partner. That attack caused a placental abruption, and I lost my beautiful daughter.

I nearly lost my own life that night too. I suffered devastating injuries, lost a significant amount of blood and underwent emergency surgery.

The man responsible received a prison sentence of just 33 months.

And I have been left to live with the consequences for the rest of my life.

I will never forget the feeling of knowing that my daughter was gone. I will never forget what happened to us, and I will never accept that losing Layla should be treated as anything less than the devastating loss of a wanted child.

Where was Layla’s justice?

I understand that Scottish courts can already take pregnancy loss and the circumstances surrounding an assault into consideration when dealing with offences and sentencing.

But I believe there is a significant difference between something being considered and something being properly recognised, consistently addressed and reflected in the law.

A mother can lose her baby through an act of domestic violence, yet the legal recognition of that loss does not always reflect the devastating reality of what has happened.

When a pregnancy is lost before 24 weeks, the baby is not legally recognised in the same way as a child who has been born alive. This leaves families like mine questioning whether the full gravity of what was taken is truly reflected in the justice system.

I am not asking for the law to ignore existing legal principles. I am asking why there is not a clearer, stronger and more consistent legal response when an act of domestic abuse results in the loss of a wanted pregnancy.

To me, Layla was failed twice.

First, by the person who assaulted us and caused her death.

And secondly, by a system that left me feeling that the loss of my daughter was not fully recognised in the justice I had hoped to see.

I don’t want another mother to sit in a courtroom wondering whether the life of her unborn baby has truly mattered to the people deciding the consequences for the person responsible.

Why I am fighting for Layla’s Law

Domestic abuse during pregnancy can have devastating consequences. It can cause serious physical injuries, lifelong psychological trauma and, tragically, the loss of a wanted baby.

Behind every statistic is a mother, a family and a baby who was loved.

I know because I am one of those mothers.

I cannot change what happened to Layla. I cannot bring my daughter home, and I cannot give her the life she deserved.

But I can use my voice to try to change what happens to other families.

That is why I am calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to review and strengthen the law surrounding pregnancy loss caused by domestic abuse.

What I am asking the Scottish Parliament to change

I am calling for the following changes to be considered:

1. Legal recognition of pregnancy loss caused by domestic abuse

Introduce clearer legal recognition of the additional harm caused when domestic abuse results in the loss of a wanted pregnancy, including consideration of a specific statutory aggravation where appropriate.

2. Stronger and clearer sentencing guidance

Ensure that when pregnancy loss is proved or admitted to have resulted from domestic abuse, the physical, emotional and psychological consequences for the mother and family are expressly considered in sentencing, with clear reasons given by the court.

3. A review of existing legislation and penalties

Review whether current Scottish offences and sentencing provisions adequately address cases where domestic abuse causes miscarriage or stillbirth, particularly where the pregnancy loss occurs before 24 weeks.

Where existing legislation is insufficient, consider further legislative changes to ensure perpetrators face consequences that properly reflect the seriousness of their actions and the harm caused.

4. A voice for mothers and families

Ensure mothers and families who have experienced pregnancy loss through domestic abuse have meaningful opportunities to contribute to the development of these legal changes, so that lived experiences are heard and not overlooked.

5. Better recognition, protection and support

Improve the response to pregnant women experiencing domestic abuse, including appropriate medical care, protection, support and recognition of the trauma caused by violence during pregnancy.

These changes must protect women’s rights, reproductive choices and access to healthcare. The focus must remain on holding perpetrators accountable for violence and the harm that their actions cause.

This is not just about my daughter.

I know that changing the law will not bring Layla back. Nothing ever will.

But perhaps it could mean that another mother doesn’t have to experience the same heartbreak of feeling that her baby has been forgotten by the justice system.

I don’t want Layla to become another statistic. I don’t want her story to be remembered only as an incident of domestic abuse.

She was a little girl. She was my daughter. She had a name, a place in my family and a future that was taken away.

There are days when this fight feels impossible. Days when the grief is overwhelming and I wonder how much more I can possibly do.

But then I remember why I started.

I remember Layla.

I recently met with my local MP, Lillian Jones, to discuss Layla’s story and the changes I am campaigning for. I am hopeful that, with the support of Parliament and those willing to listen, we can begin moving towards meaningful change.

I am determined to keep pushing until Layla’s voice is heard.

I am not asking for sympathy. I am asking for action.

I am asking for a justice system that properly recognises the devastating consequences of domestic abuse during pregnancy.

I am asking for accountability, stronger protections and a law that does not leave families feeling that their loss has been overlooked.

And I am asking you to stand beside me.

Please sign and share this petition. Help me take Layla’s name to the Scottish Parliament and make sure this issue cannot simply be ignored.

No mother should have to fight for her baby’s loss to matter.

No perpetrator should escape proper accountability because a baby was lost before 24 weeks.

Every baby mattered. Every mother mattered. Every life mattered.

And my beautiful Layla-Rose will always matter.

Let’s make Layla’s Law a reality. 🦋

For Layla. For the babies who never got their chance. For the mothers left behind.