Byline: Andrew Picken Scottish Political Reporter
A VETERAN Tory MSP last night resigned as convener of Holyrood's justice committee over claims that he suggested a rape victim may have been a prostitute.
Bill Aitken stepped down after coming under pressure following comments he made about a case in which a 38-year-old woman was dragged into a Glasgow city centre lane and raped.
Asked by a journalist to comment on the attack, Mr Aitken suggested there was 'a lot more to these citycentre rapes than meets the eye'. The former District Court judge and Glasgow MSP said the location of the incident, an area known for prostitution, was 'a place where things happen, put it that way'.
Mr Aitken went on to strongly denounce the attack - but opposition MSPs and victims' groups piled on the pressure for him to quit after a transcript of the conversation was posted on the internet.
A popular figure for his tough stance on Scotland's 'soft-touch' justice regime, Mr Aitken is due to retire as an MSP in four weeks' time.
Speaking last night, he said: 'I am standing down as convener with a mixture of emotions. Frustration at allowing myself to be misrepresented; anger at being misrepresented; and remorse to rape victims and their loved ones for any hurt they feel. But also in the hope that my true views can now be heard.
'By asking a journalist by way of background during his inquiry to me about the circumstances of a particular case, I left myself open to misrepresentation.
That is my fault and that is why I immediately issued a full and unreserved apology for any misunderstanding or distress it caused. 'Unfortunately, the newspaper chose not to publish my full statement. It also decided not to publish any quotes from my second telephone call (with) the journalist, during which I made my position clear. I leave it to others to comment on these facts and the reporting of a background conversation.
'But, however unfairly, an impression has been created that I hold certain views about rape. So, for the record, let me repeat again: Rape, in every case and for every victim is an abhorrent, vile violation.
'Every case and every victim must be treated equally. The circumstances of any case are only pertinent to the lines of inquiry which the police would follow.' A motion calling for Mr Aitken's resignation had been lodged by the Green Party and a protest by victims' groups had been planned for outside Holyrood today.
A transcript of his comments shows he is trying to establish the circumstances of the February 10 rape, the fourth in the city centre since Christmas.
He said: 'Somebody should be asking her what she was doing in Renfrew Lane. Did she go there with somebody? ... Renfrew Lane is known as a place where things happen, put it that way.' Asked to clarify, he said: 'It's an area where a lot of the hookers take their clients. Now that may not have happened in this case.
'Certainly we cannot have a situation where women are getting dragged off the streets up lanes and raped.' Speaking last week, First Minister Alex Salmond denounced Mr Aitken's comments but added: 'I don't think they really represented his views and, in fairness, he did apologise later.' SNP justice committee member Stewart Maxwell said: 'This is the right decision by Bill Aitken following his reported disappointing and out-of-character comments.
'He has served the committee well and this is an unfortunate end to his time in the parliament.' a.picken@dailymail.co.uk
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Standing down: Bill Aitken
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