Scots men forced to suffer in silence from domestic abuse

Scots men forced to suffer in silence from domestic abuse

Published Date: 25 August 2008
By Lindsay McIntosh
SCOTTISH men who are attacked by their violent partners are being left with nowhere to turn, failed by an under-resourced system, victims and campaigners have told The Scotsman.

There is no tailored facility for male victims of domestic abuse north of the Border, and many are instead being shunted to unsuitable services.

And the Scottish Government insists that general counselling services, such as Victim Support, are enough – even though female sufferers have bespoke services.

Now a new organisation, Men's Aid Scotland, is seeking charitable status to secure funding to provide the counselling and advice services which currently do not exist.

The organiser, Jackie Walls, said: "We are trying to raise the profile but we are finding it very difficult to get recognition. They see women as always being the victims, never the perpetrator.

"It is totally unreported. We are trying to flag this up and say 'please see there is a need for services'. We need to do a pilot project and get statistics."
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