Call for Scottish Government to back national support service for families bereaved by murder

Ministers should fund a national support service for families who have been affected by homicide as part of efforts to “take away the burden that they face”, a Labour MSP and former police officer has said.

Justice spokesperson Graeme Pearson used his last members’ debate in the Scottish Parliament to call for the Scottish Government to back a dedicated support service for families who have lost loved ones through murder and culpable homicide.

A specialist homicide service - set up to offer a nationally consistent service for people bereaved by murder or manslaughter - has run in England and Wales since 2010.

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Bereaved people are assigned a professional case worker who acts as a single point of contact from the point of referral until support is no longer needed.

Victim Support Scotland have called for a similar service to be funded north of the border, estimating that 59 families might have been considered for support in the last year.

Pearson, who is set to retire as an MSP in May, praised the work of charities such as Petal Support and the Moira Fund but added: “It should not be left to charities to try and find the money when members of our communities face such dire circumstances.

“It is not beyond our wit to come together and to find the means to help with arranging funerals and, in the short term, financing them to allow burials to be done with some dignity and covering people’s travelling expenses when they are required to attend the necessary related activities.”

As well as financial support to deal with funeral expenses, counselling during and after the court process as well as support during appeals processes could be provided, added the former Strathclyde Police officer.

The Labour MSP also urged consideration to be given to “unifying” Victim Support Scotland and the victim information and advice service within the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service to deliver “seamless service provision” for victims and families.

Community Safety Minister Paul Wheelhouse told MSPs it is “vital that we avoid duplication of services”, adding that government had encouraged Victim Support Scotland and Petal to “consider how they might work more closely together to support families in such cases”.

He said: “I acknowledge the very good work that is going on in England. It certainly has some attraction to it. However, we need to design a system that will work within the landscape here, while trying to avoid duplication. It would not necessarily be a straight copy.

“We are open to further discussion on the topic and we recognise that we need to be fully aware of the needs of those who have suffered bereavement by murder or suicide, and that we need to support them appropriately.”

Wheelhouse also pointed to the government’s recent publication of a code providing victims with information about their rights, who can help, and where to go for more information

Susan Gallagher, Victim Support Scotland acting chief executive, said: “Successful homicide services have been set up in England and Wales and in the Netherlands, where family members are able to access specialised services to cater for their needs before, during and after judicial proceedings.

“We believe that families in Scotland should be entitled to similar services. We welcome the recognition that more discussion is needed to continue to develop a criminal justice system for Scotland which has victims at its core.”