Trauma specialist to support victim services

A trauma specialist has been appointed to lead work across the Scottish justice system to ensure victims are treated in a more compassionate way and to get a better understanding of the impact crime can have on victims.

NHS Education for Scotland (NES) has been given three years' funding for the new role, which will be undertaken by Dr Caroline Bruce who will work directly with the Victims Taskforce.

The project is part of the Scottish Government’s programme to achieve a trauma informed workforce and services across Scotland.

Funding of £185,000 has also been awarded to four research projects to understand further how Scotland's criminal and civil justice systems can respond to the needs of all victims and witnesses. These include the use of sexual history evidence and private data in sexual offences trials, and children's reconceptualisations of "justice".

Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf commented: "For victims of crime, the impact of their experiences can be long lasting and traumatic. Taken together with the impacts of the pandemic, it is even more important than ever that we have a workforce that is trained to deal with trauma in an empathetic way and help empower victims to access justice. So I am pleased we are able to provide more funding for this important area of work and research."