It had not quite registered that Scotland’s national stadium would play host to one of the most notorious woman beaters of my generation because very little has been said about Chris Brown headlining Hampden Park on July 1.

While the likes of John Swinney were quick to jump on the bandwagon and condemn Irish trio Kneecap for their rhetoric, the political elites have remained tight-lipped about Brown, who has a known history of violence.

This missed opportunity to have a meaningful dialogue about accountability comes at a time when Glasgow is in the throes of a deepening crisis for women’s safety. Instances of domestic abuse are up by 41 per cent, rapes increased by 41 per cent, and sexual assault has risen by 28 per cent, according to the most recent data from the Safe Glasgow Partnership.

Every time I hear Chris Brown’s name, I think back to a camera at the Grammys in 2009 panning to two empty seats, their vacancy eerie and unsettling. I think of how a young Rihanna’s eyebrows are gently knitting together, holding back tears while her swollen face, black and blue, is photographed after her boyfriend, then 19, punched her repeatedly while driving a Lamborghini.

Many of his fans will tell you that Rihanna has forgiven him, and so should we. Or “seriously, the Rihanna thing happened like 15 years ago and he has apologised a million times”. But the violent incidents and string of allegations only started with Rihanna; they didn’t end there. A documentary released last year, Chris........

© Herald Scotland