Crime victim proposals criticised

Mar 4 2013

Legislation aimed at helping victims of crime has been branded a disappointment by the brother of murdered woman Claire Morris.

Peter Morris, whose sister was killed by her husband Malcolm Webster, claimed the proposals from the Scottish Government are "a missed opportunity to make real improvements".

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill previously claimed the legislation will "put victims interests at the heart of improvements to the justice system".

The Victims and Witnesses Bill proposes to make offenders pay towards the cost of supporting victims of crime by creating a victim surcharge which could raise around £1.2 million a year.

The legislation, if passed, will give victims and witnesses a right to certain information about their case, such as the time and place of the trial, and would allow victims to speak to the Parole Board when it considers releasing people who have been given a life sentence. Meanwhile, victims of sexual assaults would be allowed to choose the gender of the police officer who interviews them.

But Mr Morris, who campaigns for victims' rights following his sister's death, told The Herald newspaper: "In my two years of campaigning I have rarely felt more disappointment than when I saw the Bill. To say that this legislation as it stands will make any significant difference to victims lives is just not true. To say that this legislation is radical is not true and to say that this now puts victims at the heart of the justice system is also not true."

Webster, from Guildford in Surrey, was given a life sentence in 2011. He drugged his 32-year-old wife Claire, drove the car in which she was a passenger off a remote road in Aberdeenshire and started a fire while she was still unconscious in the vehicle.

Mr Morris criticised plans for a victim surcharge which would be imposed on anyone who is given a fine by the courts. The amount to pay would be based on a sliding scale, depending on the severity of the crime, with the cash raised going towards supporting victims. But this is "nothing more than an appeasement", Mr Morris told the newspaper.

"The direct victims of a particular crime will not receive compensation from their offender, the money will go to the Government and then be passed on to charities to disseminate as is their want," he said. The Bill should create a post of victims' commissioner who can stand up for victims' rights, Mr Morris said.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "We consulted extensively with victim support groups and others while developing the Bill, and the views expressed have informed the content and detail of the proposals being taken forward. The measures contained in the Bill will make important improvements to the criminal justice system and improve the support available to victims and witnesses."