Justice System Favours Abusers Over Victims, Says Brother Of Murdered Scots Woman Stacy Hunter

The brother of a murdered Scottish woman is demanding immediate and sweeping changes to how the justice system handles violence against women and girls, saying the current approach consistently protects perpetrators rather than victims.

Stacy Hunter was killed by her abusive partner, and her brother has now joined survivors and other bereaved families in calling for a complete overhaul of how Scotland investigates, prosecutes and sentences those who carry out domestic abuse and gender-based violence.

Speaking out alongside others who have lived through similar experiences, he said the system as it stands lets dangerous men slip through the net at every stage, from the moment police are called right through to sentencing. The people who should be protected, he argued, are being failed repeatedly while those causing the harm face minimal consequences.

“Immediate change is needed,” he said. “This cannot keep happening. Families like mine are left picking up the pieces while the system that was supposed to protect Stacy did nothing of the sort.”

His comments came as a group of survivors and bereaved relatives gathered to share their experiences and push for reform. Many described feeling ignored by police when they first reported concerns, dismissed during legal proceedings, and left without proper support in the aftermath of attacks. Several said they had warned authorities about the danger posed by their abusers long before any serious violence occurred, only to be told there was not enough evidence to act.

The frustration is not new. Campaigners in Scotland have spent years pointing out gaps in how gender-based violence is handled, but those directly affected say progress has been far too slow. For families like Stacy Hunter’s, slow progress means more women are being put at risk every single day that the system stays the same.

Scotland has seen a number of high-profile cases in recent years where women were killed by partners or ex-partners despite prior reports of abuse being made to police. Each time, there are reviews, recommendations and promises of change. But survivors say those promises rarely translate into meaningful action on the ground.

One survivor who spoke at the gathering described how her abuser was released on bail and returned to the area where she lived, despite her objections. She said the experience left her feeling that her safety was simply not a priority. Another woman said she had been cross-examined in court in a way that felt like she was the one on trial, not the man who had attacked her.

Those calling for reform want to see a number of specific changes put in place. These include stronger bail conditions for those accused of domestic abuse, better training for police officers responding to call-outs, faster access to legal support for victims, and a more trauma-informed approach throughout the entire court process.

There are also calls for the Scottish Government to properly resource the organisations that support survivors, many of which are operating with stretched budgets and long waiting lists. Frontline workers in this sector have repeatedly warned that demand far outstrips what they are able to provide.

Scotland does have legislation in place that was designed to tackle domestic abuse more effectively. The Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 introduced coercive control as a criminal offence, which was widely praised at the time. But campaigners say that having the law on paper is very different from having it properly enforced, and that too many officers and prosecutors still do not fully understand how coercive control works in practice.

For Stacy Hunter’s brother, the legal frameworks already in place mean very little when the culture within the justice system has not shifted to match them. He wants to see accountability at every level, from the officers who take the first call to the judges who hand down sentences.

He also wants other families to know they are not alone. Losing a sister to domestic violence and then watching her killer move through a system that seemed almost designed to minimise what happened is a particular kind of grief, he said. It is one that too many Scottish families understand.

Campaigners are now pushing for an urgent meeting with Scottish Government ministers to discuss the proposals and set a clear timeline for action. They say warm words and consultations are no longer good enough. What is needed now is a genuine commitment to putting victims first, backed up by real resources and real accountability.

Until that happens, they warn, more women will be failed. More families will be left where Stacy Hunter’s family now finds itself, demanding answers that should never have been necessary in the first place.