This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Crown Office reinforces seriousness of race crime
06/03/2003
Racially motivated crime in Scotland continues to be
treated extremely seriously, Solicitor General Elish
Angiolini QC said today at a meeting in Edinburgh with the
Commission for Racial Equality and Scotland's Racial
Equality Councils.
She said:
"I recognise that, given the current international
situation, many members of Scotland's ethnic minority
communities may be feeling particularly vulnerable to the
threat of racially motivated crime.
"I want to assure these communities that the
international climate cannot be used as any justification
for abuse or attacks, and that the Crown Office and
Procurator Fiscal Service remains fully committed to the
vigorous prosecution of racist crime. We will continue to
respond seriously to such crimes, whether aimed at an
individual or a place of worship."
The Solicitor General also set out progress made in the
Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service over the last
nine months on race issues and pledged a long-term,
proactive approach to promoting racial equality.
"Meetings like this are invaluable because they allow a
free exchange of views and knowledge. Building
relationships like these improves our mutual
understanding.
"The Commission for Racial Equality and Scotland's
Racial Equality Councils have unrivalled experience and
background in racial equality, from which COPFS can learn.
In return, we hope that these organisations and their
communities benefit from an increased understanding about
the role of the Procurator Fiscal and the work of the
department as a whole."
The meeting is part of the department's ongoing
commitment to engage with representatives from Scotland's
communities, as set out in the COPFS' Race Equality Action
Plan.
Recent COPFS initiatives to build positive relationships
with members of ethnic minority communities operates on a
local, as well as national level, include:
- The secondment of three trainee fiscals to work
with the Ethnic Minorities Law Centre in Glasgow - the
only law centre to specifically provide legal services
to members of ethnic minority communities in Glasgow
and outlying areas.
- A series of national and local consultation and
networking events have been held with ethnic minority
communities from across Scotland. Representatives were
invited to give views on COPFS policy and practice and
how it impacts on their communities.
- The Area Procurator Fiscal for Paisley, along with
members of the Area Race Team, giving a presentation at
the next meeting of the West of Scotland Racial
Equality Council;
- Staff in Glasgow are undertaking a series of visits
to places of worship in the Glasgow area;
- Lanarkshire Area Race Team also recently invited
representatives of local communities into the Area
office to discuss the work of the department;
- Lothian and Borders Area Procurator Fiscal will be
meeting with the Pakistan Society, Edinburgh;
- Involvement of Procurators Fiscal in local
Multi-Agency Racist Incident Monitoring groups (MARIM);
and
- Continued secondment of race equality experts from
the West of Scotland Racial Equality Council to the
Procurator Fiscal's Office in Glasgow.