PROTECT HER

Scotland’s Domestic Abuse GPS Protection Campaign

Why are we still asking victims of domestic abuse to keep themselves safe from people the justice system already knows may pose a risk?

The recent murder of Stacy Mair has once again raised devastating questions about how we protect victims when an alleged domestic abuser is released on bail.

Stacy’s estranged husband had been arrested and was facing domestic abuse charges. He was released on bail with conditions intended to keep him away from her. Stacy was later killed.

A bail condition is only as effective as our ability to know when it is being breached.

Through Protect Her, we are calling for Scotland to introduce a dedicated GPS electronic monitoring scheme for domestic abuse perpetrators who are assessed as posing a significant risk to a partner, former partner or their children.

GPS monitoring could create exclusion zones around a victim’s home, workplace or other important locations. If a monitored person entered a prohibited area, the breach could be detected and acted upon.

Scotland already has electronic monitoring legislation and GPS technology available. We believe it is time to make greater use of that technology specifically to protect those at greatest risk from domestic abuse.

Protect Her is calling for:

GPS electronic monitoring for high-risk domestic abuse perpetrators released on bail or licence.
Individually assessed exclusion zones around victims and their homes, workplaces and other relevant locations.
Clear alerts and rapid police responses when monitored conditions are breached.
Strong consequences for deliberate breaches.
Specialist domestic abuse risk assessments when decisions about bail and monitoring are made.
Victims’ safety and views placed at the centre of decisions.
Exploration of technology capable of warning when a monitored perpetrator approaches a protected victim or location.
This is not about automatically tagging everyone accused of domestic abuse. Any use of GPS monitoring must be proportionate, evidence-based and subject to appropriate judicial safeguards.

And electronic monitoring alone cannot prevent every domestic homicide. It must form part of a wider response that includes specialist risk assessment, policing, advocacy, perpetrator interventions and properly funded survivor services.

But when someone has been identified as presenting a serious risk, a piece of paper telling them not to approach a victim should not be the only thing standing between that victim and further harm.

For too long, responsibility has fallen on victims to change their lives to stay safe — moving home, changing routines, avoiding places, installing cameras and constantly looking over their shoulders.

Protect Her asks a different question:

Why should the victim be monitored by fear when technology could help monitor the person posing the risk?

Stacy should be alive.

We cannot change what happened to her. But we can ask difficult questions, demand that lessons are learned and campaign for every reasonable protection available to prevent another woman or family experiencing the same devastating loss.

Protection should not begin after a woman has been killed.

It should begin when the risk is identified.

PROTECT HER — because bail conditions should protect victims in practice, not just on paper.

#ProtectHer #DomesticAbuse #DomesticAbuseScotland #VAWG #VictimSafety #GPSMonitoring #EndDomesticAbuse #RiseAgainstAbuse