In the light of the ongoing reform of The Vulnerable Witnesses (Criminal Evidence) Bill in Scotland, the Scottish Parliament's justice committee approved the measure moving to use more pre-recorded evidence in court trials, inspired by the Barnahus model for dealing with child witnesses and victims of sexual assault. Committee however, noted this is not enough and urged government to consider implementing the Barnahus model in Scotland in its full format.

A Scottish government spokesman reacted to this proposed supporting the idea, explaining to BBC: "If passed, far fewer child witnesses and vulnerable adults will have to give evidence in court during criminal trials by the greater use of pre-recording evidence in the most serious cases. Our initial focus for such significant reform is on those children for whom it can make the greatest positive impact - ensuring we do not overwhelm the system and risk making matters worse for the very people we seek to protect."

The government and responsible bodies are now exploring the ways famous Scandinavian model could be implemented in Scotland, preparing for an intensive debate on this topic.

Childhub

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