The Passing of Dr Sarah Nelson OBE

That the Parliament notes with sadness the passing of Dr Sarah Nelson OBE at the age of 75; asserts that Sarah was a determined academic and journalist, whose work on child sexual abuse and exploitation has been influential and invaluable in Scotland and around the world; understands that Sarah was born in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, in 1949; notes that she completed a PhD at the University of Strathclyde looking at marginalised and disaffected groups in Belfast at the height of the Troubles; believes that her 1982 book, Incest: Fact and Myth, was one of the first academic works to suggest that child sexual abuse in the family involves coercion and exploitation rather than the prevailing contemporary notion that psychiatric problems or family dysfunction were the root causes; understands that, between 2006 and 2011, Sarah was joint lead professional adviser, along with Anne Macdonald, on Survivor Scotland, a national strategy for survivors of childhood sexual abuse; recognises that she was adviser to the Scottish Parliament’s 2014 inquiry into child exploitation in Scotland; commends her work in her 2016 book, Tackling Child Sexual Abuse: Radical Approaches to Prevention, which contained methods of countering child sexual exploitation, and new models of child protection; applauds Sarah’s work with abuse victims and their voluntary or third sector support agencies, such as Open Secret, Eighteen And Under, and the Kingdom Abuse Survivors Project; believes that she sought to reflect survivors’ own voices, and produced a stream of accessible reports, booklets and presentations for policymakers and practitioners; notes that her expertise and compassion were recognised in 2020, when she was appointed an OBE for her work on behalf of those sexually abused in childhood; understands that, outside of her work on child protection, she was a lifelong supporter of Aberdeen FC and, during her time at The Scotsman, was sent to Gothenburg in 1983 to cover the European Cup Winners’ Cup final, in which Aberdeen defeated Real Madrid 2-1; recognises that, along with her interest in football, Sarah was a keen mountaineer, golfer and violinist, and sends its condolences to her family, friends and all those who are mourning her passing while commemorating her exceptional legacy.