Easy read consultation 3 on ways to protect women and girls – offences against pregnant women
This is an easy read version of our consultation about crimes that can happen to women and girls. We want to know what people think about the law in Scotland relating to crimes against pregnant women.
Open
64 days to respond
What we want to happen
Sometimes women can be more at risk of harm when they are pregnant.
Violence and abuse at home can sometimes start or get worse when a woman is pregnant.
We want the law to say that there is more risk while a woman is pregnant.
We want a new kind of law for crimes where violence or abuse happens towards a pregnant partner or ex partner.
The new law should be a statutory aggravation.
This is not the same as an offence.
It means that the court needs to note the pregnancy and treat the crime as even more serious.
This new statutory aggravation would happen even if the unborn baby was lost.
This would mean that victims do not need to give lots of medical details to the court.
This new statutory aggravation would be used where partners or ex partners are abusive or violent towards a pregnant woman.