GPS tracking for domestic abuse suspects urged after Stacy Hunter murder in Renfrewshire
Campaigners are pushing for 'Stacy's Law' requiring GPS monitoring of high-risk domestic abuse suspects on bail, following the killing of Stacy Hunter by her estranged husband.
Petition demands location monitoring after bail murder case in Scotland
Domestic abuse campaigners are calling for the mandatory use of GPS tracking technology on high-risk suspects, following the murder of Stacy Hunter at her home near Houston, Renfrewshire, last month, BBC — the source behind the original reporting picked up by Google News IE — Crime (en) — has reported.
Hunter was killed by her estranged husband, Jim Mair, 43, while he was on bail after being charged with assaulting her. Mair had been released on condition that he not approach her. His body was found beside hers. The killing occurred just six days after another domestic abuse victim, Vikki Soloman, died in Edinburgh.
An online petition, launched under the banner "Stacy's Law", is now calling for high-risk domestic abuse perpetrators or suspects released on bail to have their movements tracked by GPS equipment. Proposed measures include individually assessed exclusion zones around victims' homes and workplaces, with automated alerts triggering a police response when bail conditions are breached.
The campaign was started by Lynne Mackenzie, a domestic abuse survivor who lives a few miles from the isolated cottage where Hunter died in July. Mackenzie did not know Hunter personally but said she was shaken by the murder and by the proximity of the two killings within less than a week.
"Every time driving in and out of the village I was aware of the police at the end of the road," she told BBC Scotland News. "And it really got me thinking — what could we have done? What could have been put in place beforehand? What else do we need?"
Mackenzie has since been in contact with Hunter's family, who agreed for Stacy's name to be used in the campaign. The family now prefer she be remembered by her pre-marriage surname, Hunter, rather than her husband's name, Mair. Mackenzie is co-founder of Rise Against Abuse, a not-for-profit group supporting those affected by domestic abuse, but launched the petition in a personal capacity.
Scotland lagging on GPS technology
Mike Nellis, emeritus professor of criminal and community justice at the University of Strathclyde and one of the UK's leading experts on electronic monitoring, said such a system was entirely feasible. He explained that an exclusion zone around a victim's address could generate an alert the moment an abuser entered it — though the zone would need to be large enough to allow police to arrive before the suspect.
Professor Nellis said Scotland had been slow to adopt GPS monitoring, but suggested the campaign could now find itself "pushing at an open door" given that ministers are actively exploring ways to reduce the prison population. He cautioned, however, that no system is infallible.
"I think probably every jurisdiction that has used it has at one point in time had an offender who still managed to assault, injure or kill the victim," he told BBC Scotland News. "It's a helpful solution but it's not perfect."
He also noted that some women's support organisations have previously raised concerns that GPS systems could generate a false sense of security.
In Scotland, electronic tagging has predominantly relied on older radio frequency (RF) equipment tied to home curfews. These devices connect to a receiver at the offender's address and cannot track movements beyond that property.
Last year, Community Justice Scotland (CJS), the independent public body, issued an urgent National Improvement Recommendation urging the Scottish government to accelerate the rollout of more advanced monitoring systems. CJS expressed frustration that neither GPS nor alcohol monitoring technologies had been adopted in Scotland despite an expert group endorsing them in 2016.
By contrast, both technologies have been in widespread use in England and Wales since 2018, with plans to introduce new restriction zones on offenders there this autumn.
Government response
Scotland's victims minister, Kirsten Oswald, said her thoughts were with Hunter's family and confirmed the government would study the petition closely.
"We are listening carefully to victims and support organisations about what more can be done to prevent and tackle violence against women and girls and we will carefully consider the petition," she said in a statement.
Oswald noted that the First Minister had pledged personal leadership on tackling what she described as "the scourge of violence against women and girls," while stressing that lasting change required broader societal involvement.
"Men, in particular, must challenge sexism, confront abusive behaviour and help create a culture where every woman and girl can live free from violence, abuse and fear," she added.
Oswald also clarified that while decisions on bail and remand remain a matter for the independent courts, bail conditions can be subject to electronic monitoring.
Scottish ministers have previously faced criticism over the slow pace at which GPS equipment has been introduced, with Scotland using the technology far less frequently than comparable countries. The petition and the deaths of Hunter and Soloman have intensified pressure on the government to act.
Source: Google News IE — Crime (en)