Swinney ‘dissatisfied’ by delays to Goodwillie victim aid decision

First Minster John Swinney has said helium is “dissatisfied” with the magnitude of clip it has taken for a determination to beryllium made connected the backstage prosecution of disgraced footballer David Goodwillie.

Goodwillie and erstwhile teammate David Robertson were ruled successful a civilian tribunal successful 2017 to person raped Denise Clair, but nary transgression charges person been filed against the pair.

Ms Clair is present looking to motorboat a uncommon backstage prosecution – successful which an idiosyncratic oregon organisation seeks to prosecute the accused, alternatively than the Crown Office taking enactment – but is reliant connected fiscal assistance.

I americium dissatisfied with however agelong it has taken, I explicit my apology done Mr Findlay to Ms Clair today

John Swinney

Ms Clair’s lawsuit was raised successful Holyrood by Scottish Tory person Russell Findlay.

“No credible mentation has ever been fixed arsenic to wherefore the Crown Office did not prosecute,” the Tory person said.

“Frankly, the lawsuit stinks.

“Denise was forced to instrumentality civilian enactment against the 2 men and a justice agreed that she had been raped.

“She has since asked the Government to money a backstage transgression prosecution, but continues to beryllium near successful limbo.”

Responding to Mr Findlay, John Swinney said: “I deliberation the Government has taken excessively agelong to see the petition that Ms Clair has made to us.

“And erstwhile I saw the quality reports astatine the weekend, I asked for determination to beryllium greater urgency enactment into the engagement with her agents connected this question.

“I americium dissatisfied with however agelong it has taken, I explicit my apology done Mr Findlay to Ms Clair today.”

Mr Findlay besides raised the lawsuit of Claire Inglis, who was murdered successful her location 3 years ago.

Christopher McGowan was jailed for the murder, which a justice described arsenic “beyond sadistic” aft having been bailed 5 times for different offences contempt erstwhile convictions.

While Ms Inglis’s parents watched from the gallery, Mr Findlay said they were inactive “fighting for answers” aft it emerged Stirling Council’s societal services department had raised interest months earlier her death.

Responding, the First Minister said: “We person taken steps to inquire Stirling Council to undertake further introspection and exploration of the issues involved, to prosecute straight with Claire’s parents and evidently we volition sermon those issues successful this speech today.

“I stay committed to making definite that the household receives the answers that they understandably deserve.”

A connection from Ms Inglis’s mum Fiona, released by the Scottish Tories, said: “We should not person to travel to Parliament again, and connected the 3rd day of our beloved daughter’s murder, to beg the First Minister for answers.

“We consciousness trapped and incapable to determination connected due to the fact that we proceed to beryllium deprived of basal but captious information.

“There is thing acold incorrect with Scotland’s justness strategy erstwhile victims are kept successful the acheronian and not treated arsenic a priority.”

Both cases, Mr Findlay said, on with the transition of a Bill this week that would let offenders serving short-term sentences to beryllium automatically released aft serving 40% of their word alternatively than 50%, were a grounds of “soft interaction SNP justice”.

The First Minister said: “I volition ever instrumentality earnestly the concerns of victims and volition instrumentality the enactment indispensable to guarantee the interests of victims are afloat and decently taken into relationship successful each the steps that the Government takes.”