English: I thank the Counsel General. It's been widely reported that, during COVID-19 lockdowns, we've seen an increase in cases of domestic abuse. Legal aid is still available for divorce cases where there has been domestic abuse, because the UK Government recognises that often, in order to make a safe, clean break from their abuser, a person will need to go to court for a divorce, a financial settlement, or, most importantly, to sort out appropriate arrangements over access to children. When two-child benefit caps were introduced, Labour made great play of the fact that women with a third child born from rape may have to prove that they were raped or answer very personal questions if they needed to be exempted from the benefit cap. Labour felt the process may stop women from claiming, and, for those who did, the questioning may cause them distress. The same could apply, though, to people who have suffered abuse who need legal aid to get a much-needed divorce. They may feel a misplaced embarrassment about suffering the abuse. They may feel they have to prove it took place. They may not have reported it to the police, and be concerned that raising such allegations may inflame the situation again, something they live in fear of. Now I appreciate that the issue of legal aid is not devolved, but what is devolved is your Government's ability to help all survivors of domestic abuse, particularly those who feel too afraid to say what's happened to them. For that reason, would you please consider trying to find the budget to fund representation in divorce cases? Means testing any help would be understandable, but please don't make abused people have to flag up their status, because many of them won't, and they and their children will continue to suffer as a consequence.
Welsh: Diolch i'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol. Adroddwyd yn eang ein bod, yn ystod cyfyngiadau symud COVID-19, wedi gweld cynnydd yn nifer yr achosion o gam-drin domestig. Mae cymorth cyfreithiol ar gael o hyd ar gyfer achosion ysgariad lle digwyddodd cam-drin domestig, oherwydd mae Llywodraeth y DU yn cydnabod, yn aml, er mwyn sicrhau bod y cysylltiad rhyngddynt a'u camdrinwyr yn cael ei dorri'n ddiogel ac yn llwyr, y bydd yn rhaid i unigolyn fynd i'r llys i gael ysgariad, setliad ariannol, neu'n bwysicaf oll, i wneud trefniadau priodol ar gyfer gweld eu plant. Pan gafodd budd-daliadau plant eu capio ar ddau blentyn, gwnaeth Llafur lawer o'r ffaith y gallai fod yn rhaid i fenywod â thrydydd plentyn a anwyd yn sgil trais rhywiol brofi eu bod wedi cael eu treisio neu ateb cwestiynau personol iawn pe bai angen eu heithrio o'r cap ar fudd-daliadau. Teimlai Llafur y gallai'r broses atal menywod rhag hawlio, ac i'r rhai a wnaeth hynny, gallai'r cwestiynau beri gofid iddynt. Fodd bynnag, gallai'r un peth fod yn berthnasol i bobl sydd wedi cael eu cam-drin ac angen cymorth cyfreithiol i gael ysgariad mawr ei angen. Efallai eu bod yn teimlo embaras diangen ynglŷn â dioddef camdriniaeth. Efallai y byddant yn teimlo bod yn rhaid iddynt brofi ei fod wedi digwydd. Efallai nad ydynt wedi rhoi gwybod i'r heddlu, a byddant yn pryderu y gallai crybwyll honiadau o'r fath waethygu'r sefyllfa eto, rhywbeth y maent yn byw mewn ofn yn ei gylch. Nawr rwy'n sylweddoli nad yw cymorth cyfreithiol wedi'i ddatganoli, ond yr hyn sydd wedi'i ddatganoli yw gallu eich Llywodraeth i helpu pawb sydd wedi goroesi cam-drin domestig, yn enwedig y rhai sy'n teimlo gormod o ofn i ddweud beth sydd wedi digwydd iddynt. Am y rheswm hwnnw, a wnewch chi ystyried ceisio dod o hyd i'r gyllideb i ariannu eiriolaeth mewn achosion ysgariad? Byddai gosod prawf modd ar unrhyw gymorth yn ddealladwy, ond peidiwch â gorfodi pobl sy'n cael eu cam-drin i dynnu sylw at eu statws, oherwydd mae yna lawer ohonynt na fyddant yn gwneud hynny, a byddant hwy a'u plant yn parhau i ddioddef o ganlyniad.