SCOTLAND
Scotsman
CHRIS MARSHALL
Friday 11 September 2015
THE Scottish Government has been accused of “betraying” survivors of historical abuse over plans to lift a time bar on legal action.
The government is currently consulting on removing a three-year bar on bringing civil actions in abuse cases.
The move would allow survivors of historical physical and sexual abuse to seek compensation from those responsible for their suffering in cases dating back to 1964.
But survivors are angry that legislation needed for the move was left out of the Scottish Government’s “Programme for Scotland”, which was published earlier this month.
The Scottish Government said that a draft bill would be brought forward before the end of the current parliamentary session.
Alan Draper, a spokesman for In-Care Abuse Survivors (Incas), said: “The time bar is the key issue for survivors, so its scrapping is the litmus test for the government’s commitment on this issue. They issued a consultation document for feedback, but then not to find anything in the proposed legislation . . . you can imagine how we’re feeling.
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