Calls to get tougher with vandals who damage war memorials
Two Highlands and Islands Scottish Labour MSPs have given their backing to calls to introduce legislation which recognises desecration or vandalism of war memorials as a specific criminal offence.
Rhoda Grant and David Stewart are supporting the petition urging the Scottish Government to get tougher with such damage,
The petition lodged with the Scottish Parliament’s Petitions Committee was brought by Glasgow based 'Friends of Dennistoun war Memorial' following an attack on their local community’s memorial.
The group is now seeking the support of MSPs and the public from across Scotland as their research found that since 2017 there have been at least 20 attacks on war memorials the length and breadth of the country including in the north of the country.
The Elgin war memorial in Moray was vandalised on two occasions in October 2019 and Lerwick war memorial in Shetland was also targeted in August last year.
Rhoda Grant MSP said: “Every Remembrance Day thousands of people across Scotland and the UK gather at ceremonies at war memorials to pay respect to members of our armed forces who have died in the line of duty.
“These war memorials act as grave markers for thousands of forces personnel who died serving their country and are often the only place where family members and loved ones can visit to pay respects. It’s clear to me that they deserve to be respected and treated as graves.
“Whilst vandalisation of war memorials in the Highlands and Islands is relatively rare, there have sadly been a number of recorded incidents over recent years and increased legal protection for our war memorials would send a strong message and hopefully reduce attacks which can cause so much upset for local communities.”
David Stewart MSP was one of the first politicians to visit troops in Iraq following the 2003 war through the Parliamentary Armed Forces Scheme.
He said: “I have huge respect for our armed forces and strongly support the petition to introduce legislation which recognises desecration or vandalism of war memorials as a specific criminal offence.
“Currently attacks on war memorials are dealt with in the same way as attacks on any other public or private property and I agree with campaigners on this issue that this doesn’t feel adequate and fails to recognise the unique nature and importance of our war memorials to families of those we have lost, our armed forces community and our veterans.”
