Ruth Davidson was confronted with the harrowing testimony of a rape victim as the Scottish Conservative leader was forced to defend a “heinous” UK Government policy.
To jeers from opposition MSPs, Ms Davidson said the two-child tax credit cap and associated “rape clause” was part of a drive to reduce the debt burden for future generations.
The Edinburgh MSP then was made to listen to the ordeal suffered by a rape survivor in a letter read out during a Holyrood debate by Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale.
Tax credits are capped at two children under UK Government welfare restrictions that came into force this month.
But there exemptions, such as if a claimant can prove that further offspring were a result of rape.
Anyone who says they were raped must have that verified as part of an eight-page form to fill out.
The mother-of-four relived how she was raped by one of her closest friends and was then labelled promiscuous by her husband’s family.
The letter detailed how she claimed tax credits after redundancy, before revealing she would not have been able to do so under the new system.
“There is no way I could complete that awful form of shame, no matter what the consequences,” she wrote.
“Looking back that really could have been the thing that tipped me completely over the edge, the difference between surviving to tell the tale and not.”
Ms Dugdale later said: “This heart-breaking letter from a rape victim exposes the reality of the Tory rape clause.”
Given a hostile reception in the chamber, Ms Davidson said the two-child cap was necessary to reduce UK debt and that exemptions such as the rape clause are the correct response.
“It is our judgement that we need to reduce this deficit in order to demonstrate that the UK can withstand any future shocks that may come our way – and can build an economy which can continue to sustain our public services.
“This, inevitably, means examining many budgets and the welfare budget is included in that.”
She accused Scottish politicians of misrepresenting the policy as she denied rape victims had to fill out an eight-page form to claim the benefit.
Earlier, Nicola Sturgeon, whose party called the debate, said: “No woman anywhere should have to prove that she has been raped in order to claim tax credits.
“I can’t believe that I am having to stand up in parliament and make that argument.”
