Dr. Leia Miller

Many thanks to the National Violence Against Women Network for inviting me to present on the research conducted by myself, Natascha Mueller-Hirth and Leia Miller on Barriers to Accessing Support in Rural Communities in Scotland this morning.

Please take the time to support this really important campaign. Survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence at the very least deserve this safeguarding measure, and @NHOsNow has campaigned tirelessly for this. Please do sign this petition.

Every time someone dismisses what he did as “in the past” or separates the art from the artist, it sends a message: that violence against women is forgivable and forgettable. You don’t get to claim neutrality when neutrality protects violence.

Victims see this. They figures like Chris Brown being defended and idolised, all while victims’ experiences are diminished, both in legal settings and wider society. These attitudes silence victims. It tells abusers they’ll be protected and victims that speaking up is a risk.

Another clear example of how men can perpetually enact violence against women and society turns a blind eye. This is not ‘minding your own business’, it’s enabling a violent perpetrator, and society wonders why victims of DV and SA feel like they cannot speak out against abusers.

Survivors should have the legal right to be heard, outwith the confines of questioning on the stand, which is dictated by lines of questioning asked. I urge you to sign this petition as a step towards affording survivors this opportunity.

At my abuser’s sentencing, the judge acknowledged the aftermath of the abuse I experienced had ‘life-changing consequences’, however I was not given the opportunity to use my voice to express this, nor provided with much space to articulate the impact of the crime on the form.

Stand Firm Voices has launched a campaign advocating for the right for survivors to have the right to read their Victim Impact Statement themselves in court, promoting a sense of empowerment in the aftermath of abuse that leaves victims feeling powerless. chng.it/BcsGkHh2VY

I stand by these words. The pathway to justice will become too hard, too lonely, and too traumatising to walk. We cannot keep claiming to prioritise victims while stripping away the very infrastructure that makes justice possible. We must keep the pressure on to ensure victims’ rights are not an afterthought, but a priority.

This is such a powerful and long-overdue step forward. Giving victims the option to be present - safely and supported - during parole hearings is huge. It offers a real sense of involvement, validation, and closure. Great to see this pilot. gov.uk/government/new…

Hopefully successful roll out of this, alongside the important campaigning of @ellieokwilson and Lisa Stewart will drive this change. Victims lack so much control and information in their fight for justice, so being able to be informed at the parole stage is fundamental.

Really pleased to see this being implemented in England and Wales. Victims should have the right to access this information. Really hope this example of good practice is implemented in Scotland so victims here can be afforded the same opportunities.

This is nothing short of a national emergency. Extensive waiting and delays further compounds victims’ trauma. Urgent action is needed to tackle this crisis and repair the system so that justice is accessible to victims and they can move forward. dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1…

When survivors say abuse is relentless, this is what they mean. Suicide is now the leading cause of death in domestic abuse cases. That should shake every part of our system to its core. These suicides are not inevitable - they are preventable. news.sky.com/story/staggeri…

That being said, the documentary was incredibly eye-opening and reflective of the realities victims are subjected to in their attempts to heal and receive justice. Incredible bravery shown from the remarkable young women involved. The system needs serious trauma-informed reform.

The term ‘better’ to describe the release of a predator is appalling. The consequences of a rape conviction are not huge compared to the immense impact on rape victims, not only by the crime but by the system which compounds trauma further, especially with extreme court backlogs.

Watching the ‘Stacey Dooley: Rape on Trial’ documentary and hearing from a defence lawyer that ‘It’s better to have someone who’s guilty be acquitted wrongly than someone who’s innocent being convicted wrongly because the consequences of a rape conviction are so huge.’

Exactly this. Justice shouldn't come at the cost of a victim’s life being put on hold. The system must do better.

Had I not had the support I had from victim support services, I would never have been able to cope with the aftermath of the abuse I endured, let alone report my abuser. These services are invaluable to victims and are an essential service for support. theguardian.com/society/2025/m…