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So, that helpful safeguard exists.

While you are on the line, as it were, you will be aware that I asked the previous panel about male survivors of domestic abuse. What is your gut feeling about how Police Scotland deals with reports of domestic abuse? I know that you will say lots of positive things about the good work that is done on the front line, but is there any sense at all that different officers deal with such reports differently? Are you comfortable that everyone is fully trained to deal with a man reporting domestic abuse and that he will be dealt with in the same way as anybody else would be dealt with?

Good morning. Some of you—perhaps all of you—sat through the previous session, so you will have heard some of the issues that were raised by the organisations that support victims of domestic abuse. I want to focus on the procedural issues about how we get from the point of someone reporting an incident through to a successful conviction, and the pathway that that incident will take.

My first question is an overarching one, and I ask it only to get a feel for your views. About 20 years ago, around 33,000 domestic abuse incidents were reported to the police in Scotland each year and, 20 years later, that number has almost doubled to 65,000. There has been a lot of conversation about whether that is good, bad or indifferent. There is a school of thought that, as a result of a series of education and public awareness campaigns and a shift in social concepts, people are more willing to report incidents today than they were two decades ago and that is good news. Equally, however, there could be concern that there is an increase in incidents.

That is the issue that I tried to raise with Dr Marsha Scott. Do you have a view on that? There has been a trend, and the number has been on the rise. There was a small decrease of 1 per cent last year but, overall, the number has been rising considerably, and especially during the past seven to eight years. Clearly, that is of concern to the committee and to those involved.

There is a dichotomy: we can analyse statistical data and take a view on that, but the anecdotal evidence, of which we have taken a lot, is equally important to us. I refer to a recent Women’s Aid blog, in which it is made clear that survivors of domestic abuse express

“significant concern that the investigation, prosecution and sentencing for domestic abuse offences, did not take account of the sustained level, severity, or impact of abuse they had experienced.”

It is very clear to many of us, through case work that we do, evidence that we hear in private and public and from the organisations that work with survivors, that many people in Scotland still feel really let down by the whole system. That is not to disparage the officers who deal with tier 1 reports, the advocates who pick up the cases or the judges considering the evidence before them—or indeed the juries if it comes to that. It is clear that the whole system is letting people down and they are not being supported. How do you respond to that criticism?

We look forward to that.

We have covered a lot of ground, but I want to pick up some issues that have not been touched on, one of which is the regional disparity that exists in the prevalence of domestic abuse in Scotland. According to our papers, areas such as Dundee, West Dunbartonshire and Glasgow city have a much higher rate per 10,000 of the population than other parts of the country. What more could be done from the point of view of education or policing, for example? Where do the problems lie? That might be a question for our academic friends in the room. I am slightly concerned that the west of Scotland, which I represent, is disproportionately affected. Why is there such regional disparity in the prevalence of domestic abuse cases?

Marsha, as you are online, I will come to you first, if that is all right.

Especially when people have had the guts to come forward, pick up the phone and make the call to the police, possibly for the first time, after years, only to find, at the end of a torturous three-year journey, that the perpetrator is given a community sentence or a fine, it is no wonder that so many feel let down by the system.

Is there a palpable sense of frustration in the police when officers are called out to households where there are repeat offenders whom they have seen before? Is there frustration that not enough is being done to support victims?

So, who would give the authorisation?

I see.

The reason that I asked the question is that the policy note states specifically that the provision will

“facilitate the transfer of prisoners”—

not necessarily evidence—

“to and from these countries”.

Section 31 of the 2003 act talks about evidence being given digitally or via video or telephone, which might make it easier for someone to participate in legal proceedings in another country—I understand that—but then the policy note goes on to talk about the removal of people.

Thank you, Dr Scott. I add my congratulations on your organisation’s birthday, and as one of the token men on the committee, I say happy international women’s day to you. Fist bumps all the way.

You have raised a few interesting points that I will not labour with the panel, because we do not have time.

The last point that I do want to discuss, although it is probably bad timing because it is international women’s day, is that domestic abuse is also suffered by men. There are male victims of domestic abuse, and they can suffer at the hands of either female or male abusers. I find it very hard to get statistical data on that, although I know that a witness from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland who will be in the next panel has some.

A couple of years ago, there was a concerted campaign by charities, the Scottish Government and some organisations in London to offer more support to deal with the stigma around male domestic abuse. You are nodding your head, Claire Houghton; do you want to come in on that?