RUTH Davidson has been accused of "abrogating her responsibility to the women of Scotland" by failing to speak out against the UK Government's so-called rape clause and warned that her reputation could be damaged beyond redemption.

The Scots Tory leader faced a blistering attack from a leading women's aid campaigner for backing the rule where a woman has to prove a third child was conceived after being raped to be exempt from a two-child tax credit cap.

Glasgow women's abuse expert and psychologist Dr Mairead Tagg, said Davidson was at risk of destroying her reputation by failing to use her influence to persuade the Prime Minister to drop the policy.

Davidson has said she supports the exemptions the UK Government has put in place on restrictions to child tax credits, saying she wants to see ministers “implement them in the most compassionate way possible”.

However, Tagg, who worked as a clinical psychologist for Glasgow East Women's Aid, said the clause would leave rape victims "humiliated, degraded and feeling like they were abused all over again" by subjecting them to questioning.

Tagg also said the rule, requiring rape victims to prove their third child was born as a result of non-consensual sex or while in a coercive relationship in order to claim tax credits, would stigmatise children in those families.

She said: "What child wants to have the stigma of being identified as the result of rape? It's a despicable policy."

Tagg also said Davidson was taking a "despicable position" by failing to join with Nicola Sturgeon and Kezia Dugdale in opposing the clause.

She said: "Ruth Davidson, as someone who leads her party, has a responsibility to the women of Scotland to stand up for their dignity and human rights. It's an abrogation of her responsibility to not stand against this appalling cruelty.

"It was so heartening to see men as well as women at a demonstration in Glasgow on this issue. But Ruth Davidson has unequivocally let down down both men and women.

"She has a personal responsibility in line with her duties to speak out and she has let us all down."

However, Tagg said Davidson still had time to reconsider her stance and state her opposition to the rape clause.

"But it's not too late and I'd respect her so much more if she said had listened to people and had changed her mind," she said. "You can't stand up for something so inhuman without losing a lot of credibility and if she doesn't alter her position that reputation will be [damaged] beyond redemption."

The head of Scotland's rape crisis movement has also said she is “disappointed” by the lack of cross-party opposition to the clause, as the pressure increased on Davidson to condemn the policy.

Sandy Brindley, national co-ordinator of Rape Crisis Scotland (RCS), said that all politicians should “do all they can to get Westminster to reverse the policy”.

The intervention will be seen as a veiled appeal to Davidson from RCS, which describes itself as "the national office for the rape crisis movement in Scotland".

RCS works with crisis centres and provides support for anyone in Scotland affected by sexual violence, which includes a free national helpline.

Brindley stopped short of directly criticising Davidson, but said it was disappointing there was not unity among the Scottish party leaders in opposing the policy.

She said: “We’re disappointed to see that cross party support has not been sustained over such an acute issue. It’s an acute issue of harm to rape survivors and is a harmful policy. We’d like all politicians to do all they can to get Westminster to reverse the policy.”

Last night, women politicians at Westminster and Holyrood stepped up their attacks on the clause. SNP MSP Gillian Martin accused Davidson of acting as Theresa May’s "mouthpiece" in Scotland by defending the rule.

In a blistering attack on the Scottish Tory leader, she said: “It’s time for Ruth Davidson to find her conscience and oppose this shocking and inhumane treatment of women and children – rather than just acting as Theresa May’s mouthpiece in Scotland and blindly supporting a cap on children and the rape clause."

SNP MP Alison Thewliss has now written to Davidson asking the Tory leader to explain her remarks that the policy could be delivered in a sensitive manner.

She said: “I have been seeking information on how the two-child policy and the rape clause will be administered from the UK government for 21 months now with no answers.

Adding: "The UK Government has railroaded this cruel policy through Parliament with minimal scrutiny. It must be halted right now.”

Davidson has repeatedly refused to yield to the appeals from women's groups and female politicians in other parties. Instead she sought to deflect the onus on the First Minister to use new Holyrood powers to bring in alternative benefits legislation.

In response, a Scottish Conservative spokesperson said: "The Scottish Conservatives support these exemptions but we also believe there is an obligation on the Government to ensure that these cases are dealt with with all due care and attention."