Ministers to consider new offence of non-fatal strangulation after woman’s death

John Swinney has pledged the Scottish Government will give “serious consideration” for non-fatal strangulation to be made a specific criminal offence.

Promising to “explore the appropriateness” of such a change, the First Minister also said he will “lead from the front” a campaign to tackle abuse of women and girls by changing male behaviour.

He said the Government will look at whether there is a “gap in the law” regarding non-fatal strangulation – which is currently dealt with under the common law of assault in Scotland.

Fiona Drouet, whose daughter Emily took her life while at university after suffering abuse, has launched a petition calling for it to be made a specific offence.

While he said ministers “constantly keep the law under review”, Mr Swinney he added: “If there was to be a stand-alone offence put in place, we would need to be confident there is a gap in the law.”

Responding to SNP MSP Michelle Thomson during First Minister’s Questions on Thursday, the SNP leader pledged: “The Government will give serious consideration to this matter. The Government will explore the appropriateness of a stand-alone offence.”

But he added: “There is one other thing that needs to be changed. That is the behaviour of boys and men.

“I take deadly seriously my responsibility as a male First Minister of Scotland to make it absolutely clear that the behaviour of boys and men is integral, it is central to the experiences of women in our society.

“So we can look at all the measures we need to take in terms of criminal offences, but I will lead from the front a campaign to say to boys and men in Scotland that their behaviour has got to improve.”