Scottish Government
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Support for victims of domestic abuse
Edinburgh Domestic Abuse Court Service first to benefit from £20 million fund.
An Edinburgh organisation is the first to benefit from additional funding to tackle all forms of violence against women and girls in Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed today.
The Edinburgh Domestic Abuse Court Service (EDACS) will receive £147,000 additional funding over the next year, in addition to the £100,000 already committed to the service.
The EDACS provides information and advocacy for victims of domestic abuse and violence across Edinburgh and Midlothian and has helped over 620 women in the last six months.
The First Minister confirmed the funding boost at First Ministers Questions today. She said:
“Edinburgh Domestic Abuse Court Service took the time at last week’s Womens Aid conference to tell me about the good work that they do – but also that they had an issue with funding which could put the service at risk.
“I recently announced new funding of £20 million to step up our work to tackle violence against women. EDACS undertake exactly the type of work we want to back though our fund, so I am pleased to be able to offer support that will see the service continue.
“I am particularly keen to see some of this money be used to help widen access to specialist advocacy services for the victims of crime, including domestic abuse and sexual offences.
“Domestic abuse is a crime that affects 1 in 6 women in our society – this is unacceptable and it needs to be stopped.”
Notes To Editors
The £20 million funding will be put in place over the next three years to better support victims of violence and sexual assault by:
- Increasing court capacity to reduce delays, inconvenience and stress for victims and their families.
- Widening access to specialist advocacy and support services for the victims of crime, including domestic abuse and sexual offences.
- Expanding access to specialist legal advice to victims of rape and other sexual offences.
- Exploring an expansion to innovative initiatives such as the Caledonian System, which work with men convicted of domestic abuse related offences to address the underlying causes of their behaviour and further protect women.
- Improving education and information resources to help increase public understanding of these crimes and reinforce a zero-tolerance approach to domestic abuse and sexual crimes.
