Scotland’s parole board will now have to consider if killers have refused to reveal the whereabouts of their victims’ remains, thanks to a change in the law.
The change – dubbed Suzanne’s Law after Suzanne Pilley – came into force on Wednesday.
It was introduced as part of the Scottish government’s Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Act and followed campaigning from both Ms Pilley’s family and the family of fellow murder victim Arlene Fraser.
Edinburgh bookkeeper Ms Pilley, 38, was murdered by David Gilroy in 2010 after she ended a relationship with him.
He was later arrested, convicted and jailed for at least 18 years – but he has never revealed the location of her body.
Arlene Fraser was murdered by her husband Nat Fraser in Moray in 1998 after waving her children off to school.
Her remains have also never been found.
In 2012, Nat Fraser was handed a life sentence with at least 17 years behind bars.
The legislation change means that in cases where a victim’s remains have not been recovered, and where there are reasonable grounds to believe their killer has this information but has not disclosed it, this must be taken into account when they come up for possible release on parole.
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Debbie Adams, interim chief executive of Victim Support Scotland, said: “The prospect of bringing a measure of justice and closure to families has driven our commitment to this campaign.
“Victim Support Scotland will continue to campaign on behalf of victims, witnesses, and their families, and are hopeful that this change will pave the way for further reform.”
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Liberal Democrat MSP Jamie Greene – who introduced the amendment that led to Suzanne’s Law – said he was pleased that it, and changes which mean the parole board will have to consider victim safety, had now come into effect.
But Mr Greene said he was “disappointed” there was no timetable for bringing in another part of the legislation, which would require the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service to inform victims of any decision to drop proceedings or not to prosecute a case.
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Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: “Changes in the landmark Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform Act will require that the Parole Board for Scotland must, when making a decision on release, take account of whether the prisoner has information about the disposal of the victim’s remains, but has not disclosed it.
“We will implement all parts of the act and will do so in a phased way to ensure reforms can be introduced in a manner that does not unduly affect the operation of our justice system.”
