Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, has welcomed the announcement from the Scottish Government that extra funding would be provided to domestic abuse organisations to deal with the increased demand on their service due to the current covid-19 lockdown.

Grants from the Scottish Government’s £350 million Communities Fund have been made to Scottish Women’s Aid and Rape Crisis Scotland to ensure that access to these key support services is maintained and victims still have access to methods of reporting crimes during the crisis, including using online video platforms, text messaging and phone calls.

Jackie Baillie said:

“I welcome the fact that money has been made available to ensure that key organisations such as Women’s Aid and Rape Crisis Scotland can continue to provide vital support for domestic abuse victims both in my constituency and across Scotland.

“It is a heart-breaking but unsurprising fact that the number of calls to the Dumbarton Women’s Aid has risen drastically because of the lockdown. Victims are being forced to remain in close proximity to their abusers, putting themselves and their dependants at risk.

“I hope that this money will find its way to local organisations to meet the increased demands on their services and that this increased Government support for them continues after the current crisis.”