I’ve been looking the other way, embarrassed as I can be when confronted with a loud mental health problem in the aisles of a supermarket, by the latest string of fake news from Kevin McKenna, greasing the pages of the Herald, this last few months but, such is my lack of inner peace, today’s utterly fantastic ‘John Swinney and the Scottish Greens have, in effect, given a free pass to pimps’ pushed me over.

Why is it, like all of his stuff these days, fake?

First, in the year-ending June 2025, there were 72 804 cases of rape and attempted rape, 211 225 sexual offences and 797 530 cases of domestic abuse, in England and Wales.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/crimeinenglandandwales/yearendingjune2025#sexual-offences

In Scotland in the same period, the figures were 2 897, 5 124 and 2 573.^{2, 3}

https://www.gov.scot/publications/recorded-crime-scotland-2024-25/pages/sexual-crimes/ https://www.gov.scot/publications/recorded-crime-scotland-2024-25/pages/non-sexual-crimes-of-violence/

England & Wales have roughly 11 times the population, so all things being equal you might have expected the figures to have been around 30 000, 55 000 and 30 000. In fact, they were between two and three times higher for rape and assisted rape, four times higher for sexual offences and a staggering 20 to 30 times higher for domestic abuse!

Second, Helena Ann Kennedy, Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws, is a Scottish barrister, broadcaster, and Labour member of the House of Lords, is no supporter of the SNP in Government, so what she said nearly two years ago is still important.

By stewartb

In the light of the above BBC Newsnight report of failures by two English police forces, to protect women, from ‘Misogyny – A Human Rights Issue’ (8 March 2022), the independent report from the Scottish Government’s Working Group on Misogyny and Criminal Justice led by Dame Helena Kennedy (https://www.gov.scot/publications/misogyny-human-rights-issue/ )

Helena Kennedy writes: “Scotland has proudly led the way in many areas concerning women’s rights and violence against women; the zero tolerance campaign on domestic abuse, for example, was initiated here. Scotland was at the fore and set the gold standard in recognising that coercive, emotional and financial control was a form of domestic abuse. The reforms recommended in this report are also innovative, change-making and radical.”

She adds: “It is admirable and right that Scotland holds the ambition of ridding itself of misogyny altogether. It is an ambition for serious social change. It will be no mean feat but making a strong start by creating new laws, specifically created for women, will be a clear declaration of intent. These recommendations are intended to reach deeper into the foundations of inequality. They are purposely framed to create a profound shake-up. There will undoubtedly be opposition from those who are wedded to the old order. But men and women who want a better society for themselves and for future generations will embrace the spirit if not the letter of this Report. Change has to come and society is ready for it.”

As a postscript Kennedy notes: “I was given free rein to choose my own Independent Working Group ..”

În her introduction to the report, Kennedy remarks in a section entitled ‘Laws Worth Fighting For’:

“The invitation (i.e. from the Scottish Government) to consider misogyny and the law might be considered by many as a hospital pass. Why would anyone step into this hostile territory? I have spent my life arguing for legal reform to create systems where people can be treated without discrimination and with equality and justice. Hatred always stems from seeing certain ‘others’ as ‘lesser’ beings.

“Since the 1970s I have fought for women’s rights but I have also fought against class bias and racism and religious bigotry and homophobia. I have been a strong advocate for justice for trans people, having acted in a number of cases involving the most egregious persecution of those who have changed their gender identity.

“I was leading counsel in the first trans case in an international court – the European Court of Justice; we won my client’s case of sex discrimination when she asserted her right to live as a woman. I have acted for a young trans woman who was raped, then ridiculed by police, and when she withdrew her complaint, knowing she would be humiliated in the witness box, she was prosecuted for perverting the course of justice and wasting police time. Trans people suffer unimaginable abuse and discrimination and that should not be minimised. Trans women face misogyny as well as prejudice about their change of gender.

“Disabled women, young and elderly women, LGBTI+ women and women of colour all face prejudice alongside misogyny. The law should seek to protect as many people as possible. I should also probably add that most of my clients over the years have actually been men and I have sought justice with vigour for them too.”