Top cop: 'Violence against women must become as taboo as drink driving'
One of Scotland’s most senior police officers has said violence against women and girls must be treated as a public health issue
Violence against women and girls (VAWG) should be tackled with a public health campaign similar to drink driving, a senior police officer has said.
Deputy Chief Constable Bex Smith claimed the Scottish government must invest more in tackling VAWG while using a public health approach.
She spoke in response to questions about a loss of public trust following the suicide of rapist police officer Alan Greer.
On Thursday it also emerged that Scotland’s police regulator is examining the contact Police Scotland had with Vikki Soloman before she was murdered.
The 44-year-old died on July 20, believed to have been killed by her ex-partner Lee Greenan, who was found dead in his cell at HMP Edinburgh the following Sunday.
It was also revealed that the force had contact with Stacy Mair before her murder in Houston, Refrewshire, on July 27.
The 35-year-old’s husband, Jim Mair, was on bail conditions not to approach her after appearing at Paisley Sheriff Court charged with assault.
Mair, 43, was found dead next to his estranged wife with his death being treated as unexplained.
Ms Smith, speaking at a Scottish Police Authority committe, said she is “genuinely proud” of the way the force deals with VAWG, saying the issue is “100 per cent” a priority for the force.
Ms Smith added: “This is a societal issue, and I think it should be taken as seriously as drink driving or not wearing a seatbelt.
“When you look at some of those campaigns back in the day, growing up through that, for me, those were things you absolutely wouldn't do.
“I'm not convinced we are there in terms of violence against women and girls.
“We, as a collective system, need to start having those conversations about the impact this is having across society, because we are seeing crimes rise in every area around violence against women and girls.”
A report to the committee by the Chief Constable Jo Farrell called VAWG a “growing national threat” as officers face more than 200 cases a day.
“We can talk about increased reporting and people having confidence in that, but I think society has changed,” Ms Smith said.
“We look at online, we look at children now having access to mobile devices.
“You look at forums that are being developed - the manosphere, the incel culture.”
Ms Smith went on to say the internet is contributing to an increase in VAWG, adding there are “gaps” in the structures to tackle the issue.
She said the Scottish government must provide more funding and coordinate the response.
“Some of that requires funding, some of that requires coordination at a more senior level through government,” the senior officer added.
She said there are examples of good practice, such as the Police Scotland Don’t Be That Guy campaign targeting young men’s behaviour.
The strategic engagement forum that sees police liaise with third sector organisations was also mentioned.
“But I do think there needs to be more done,” she added.
“I think those conversations need to be more about how do we develop a much stronger public health approach to tackling violence against women and girls.”
Laura Thomson, co-director of Zero Tolerance, said treating violence against women as a public health issue is "exactly what is needed", but stressed the approach is not new.
Ms Thomson said women's organisations have promoted prevention-focused policies for decades, however funding has not matched political rhetoric.
"It's great that the police are talking about this, and it's great that organisations like Public Health Scotland are taking a public health approach," she said.
"But we've been calling for primary prevention for 35 years so it’s not new.
“What we need is the investment to do it properly.
“It’s a huge problem and it expresses itself in different ways and that still isn't being taken seriously but is being treated as a niche problem for some women.
“Actually it impacts on all women in different ways.”
Ms Thomson said there is a continuum of violence against women that ranges from catcalling to extreme violence.
As well as an attitude problem, there are societal structural problems that need to be addressed, Zero Tolerance says, such as ensuring women are not living in poverty.
It requires, for example, the government ensuring there is sufficient childcare so that women can work.
A public health approach is a preventative approach that would stop violence from occurring, rather than intervening at the point it is about to occur.
Ms Thomson gave the example of bartender bystander training programmes that teach staff how to watch for women in danger and intervene.
Instead, she said, primary prevention would mean no man in the bar is going to think about committing violence because society does not tolerate it.
“It's a fundamental change to the structures of our society,” Ms Thomson added. “To the way that we understand what it means to be a man and what it means to be a woman.
“And until we can tackle that, sadly, the violence isn't going to go away.
“But if we are going to truly use a public health approach, that means working from the evidence base and not just jumping to knee-jerk responses.”
Minister for Victims and Community Safety Kirsten Oswald gave her “deepest condolences” to Ms Soloman and Mrs Mair’s families.
“Violence against women is abhorrent and the Scottish government works closely with partners, including Police Scotland, to address this scourge,” she said.
Ms Oswald pointed to legislation introduced to tackle domestic abuse “to strengthen confidence in the system and ensure police, prosecutors and the courts have the powers they need to bring perpetrators to justice and people have confidence in reporting domestic abuse”.
“Violent men need to change their behaviour and be held accountable within the justice system for coercive control, abuse and violence,” she said.
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