Victim Support Scotland issued the below statement following a debate about tackling violence against women and girls in Scottish Parliament on 15th September 2026.

Carol Eden, Head of Communications and External Affairs at Victim Support Scotland, said:

“We value the focus on tackling violence against women and girls by the First Minister, and other members of the Scottish Parliament, which is urgently needed.

“It was announced that trials of GPS bail monitoring will be underway in the new year. While this is not a catch-all solution, VSS welcomes any additional safeguards - however, it's important to highlight that this one relies on a swift emergency response to be effective.

“We reiterate our deep concerns about the safeguards in relation to bail, specifically the removal of Section 23D of the Bail and Release from Custody Act. Clearly, more needs to be done to protect women who are subject to domestic violence in particular, including strengthening risk assessments and incorporating victim feedback.

“Recent proposals to achieve a sustainable prison population, which include a greater use of bail, should give equal weight to victim safety. We will continue to advocate on behalf of everyone impacted by crime in Scotland to ensure that victim safety and lived experience are integral to risk assessments and any new proposals.

“We also welcome discussion around online harms that are part of the insidious rise of misogynistic content on social media. We have seen first-hand the impact of the disturbing and dangerous content that is proliferated online, which includes deep fake videos of women who have been killed. We are calling for greater regulation of social media companies regarding the creation and sharing of deepfakes and AI-generated content, including stronger powers to regulate and remove these types of posts.

“Overall, while we are heartened that this topic is being discussed so passionately by MSPs, these words need to be followed up by decisive action - and VSS offers to play a role by representing victims' experiences on this. That is the only way that the safety of women in girls in Scotland will be strengthened.”

If you need support, you can contact our helpline, access our web chat, or fill out a form on our website.


Any media and press enquiries relating to this topic can be directed to the communications team email: 

comms@victimsupportsco.org.uk