MORAY MOTHER CALLS FOR CHANGE IN LAWS AFTER ABUSIVE PARTNER 'PUT HER THROUGH HELL'
A Moray mother who endured severe mental and physical suffering from her abusive partner is urgently requesting the removal of laws that she believes unfairly hinder victims, describing the current legal system as working against them.Stacy Devlin, who is 22 years old, faced immense trauma before bringing her attacker to justice.Last month, her former partner and the father of her young child, Liam Smith, appeared in Elgin Sheriff Court where he admitted to assaulting her during the previous year.Miss Devlin has voiced her frustration that due to laws requiring corroboration, she was only able to secure two charges against Smith because her mother caught him in the act.
She highlighted the emotional toll of reporting abuse, saying, “Bringing something like this to the police is very emotional, and when it can’t go forward it’s like a kick in the teeth for victims.”She suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder as an aftermath of her ordeal and has called for harsher punishments for perpetrators of psychological abuse.
"I would rather be punched in the face 100 times than deal with what I am going through emotionally," she stated, emphasizing how the abuse has shattered her confidence and caused ongoing anxiety.
"I still feel tortured every day."Scottish law authorities have announced plans to abolish the need for corroboration in domestic violence cases and are awaiting government approval.
The Law Society of Scotland confirms that progress is underway to replace the current legal requirements with safeguards like a specific domestic abuse offence, explaining that these changes are designed to better address longstanding psychological torment and ensure justice for victims.
