A grieving Fife mum whose son was murdered has spoken of the added strain of meeting funeral costs.
Daniel Turner’s mother Corrine was speaking out about the pain her family went through as it was revealed criminals will soon be made to pay for victims’ costs, such as funerals for people who have been murdered or the protection of witnesses.
A Scottish Government fund will allow victims or their families to share in almost £1 million a year of cash seized from criminals.
The Government’s victim surcharge fund, established under the Victims and Witnesses Act, will be modelled on the existing Victim Support Scotland victims’ fund.
The family of murder victim Daniel, 21, who was killed in Glenrothes in 2013, have both received funeral costs from the existing victims’ fund.
Corrine, 46, said: “£1,000 is a month’s wage to this family. We simply did not have the money to bury Daniel and no one, unless they have suffered what we have following the death of a son, will be able to appreciate the anguish and strain we were under.”
Daniel was the innocent victim of an unprovoked attack. He suffered 171 stab wounds in the attack in Riverside Park.
The new act will introduce powers to enable victims of sexual assault, domestic abuse, human trafficking and stalking to choose the gender of their police interviewer.
Victims will also be permitted to make representations to the authorities when prisoners are being considered for release.
The act lowers the age at which victims can make a statement in their own right from 14 to 12.
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said: “The measures coming into force today mark a major milestone in improving the rights of, and support for, victims in our justice system.
“Today I have heard the harrowing stories of victims of crime and the very real and practical support Victim Support Scotland was able to offer at such a difficult time.”
He continued: “We are working with our justice partners and victim support organisations to ensure that the important reforms coming into force today, along with further measures introduced by the act, will help place victims and witnesses at the heart of our justice system, making them feel involved and, hopefully, better able to cope with their experiences.”
David McKenna, chief executive of Victim Support Scotland, welcomed the measures in the act coming into force today, describing them as a major advance in supporting victims of crime in Scotland.
He added: “Once established, the new victim surcharge fund will ensure that when people are most in need, when they have nowhere else to turn, that Victim Support Scotland will, through the fund, be able to provide the services they require.”