John Swinney under pressure over SNP bail changes as 'scumbags freed to kill'
The First Minister has come under pressure after the deaths of women killed by ex partners who were out on bail.
John Swinney’s government has been accused of having “failed to keep women safe” amid fears raised that bail changes have resulted in “scumbags freed to kill”.
The First Minister came under fire over high-profile cases of violent men being able to kill women while out on bail for previously attacking them over the summer.
At First Minister's Questions, Mr Swinney also came under pressure over delays to promised GPS tracking and a flagship sexual offences court - amid calls for him to reverse bail conditions for domestic abusers.
Speaking at FMQs, Scottish Labour acting leader, Jackie Baillie, stressed that “women are being failed even after abusers are known to the justice system”.
She raised the case of Stacy Hunter who was murdered by her estranged husband, Jim Mair, at her home in Renfrewshire in July while on bail for previously attacking her.
Dame Jackie said that Stacy’s family have called on SNP ministers to “catch up with other countries and roll out GPS tracking of violent offenders on bail”.
She added: “In 2023, their changes to bail laws removed vital protections for domestic abuse victims and GPS tracking is still not here.
“The SNP is failing to exempt rapists and sex offenders from its latest plans to release prisoners early.”
Dame Jackie argued that “choices and delays” by the Scottish government “have actually been fatal”.
“His government has failed to keep women safe”, she warned.
In response, Mr Swinney suggested that restating the exemption for rapists in the upcoming early release plans were “serious considerations to be addressed”.
He told MSPs that there was “pilot work underway” to roll out GPS tracking as promised.
Mr Swinney insisted that his government was giving “urgent attention to ensure that progress is made as quickly as possible”.
READ MORE: SNP urged to follow Burnham and exempt rapists from early release amid fears 'public safety at risk'
Scottish Conservative leader, Russell Findlay, pointed to concerns previously raised by victim groups who “warned him that weakening bail laws would increase violence against women”.
“But he ignored them”, the Tory leader added.
“He scrapped a legal safeguard that kept men charged with domestic violence in custody.”
Mr Findlay also highlighted the cases of women who were “murdered by their partners who were bailed after attacking them”, branding the attackers as “scumbags freed to kill”.
He called om Mr Swinney to “bring back this important safeguard” of violent attackers not being released on bail.
“Stop violent thugs who attack women being given bail and stop them from being freed early”, Mr Findlay said.
Scottish Lib Dems leader, Alex Cole-Hamilton raised the death of 44-year-old Vikki Soloman who was stabbed by her ex-partner Lee Greenan at her Edinburgh home.
“She called the police asking for help following the assault by the man who hours later would go on to kill her”, he said. “The police did not attend.”
Mr Cole-Hamilton added: “Stacey Hunter was murder by a partner out on bail who should have been nowhere near her.
“There is a pattern here of women being let down by the system.”
Mr Swinney stressed there are “individual cases that give us all cause for concern about the fact that those individuals were on bail and they were able to perpetrate the heinous crimes”.
He added: “I cannot make clearer the sense of shock I feel about what we’ve experienced in Scotland over the summer about violence against women and girls.
“Every aspect of this state is going to be deployed to root it out.”
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