Scottish woman told would be charged for homophobic and transphobic tweets

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

twitter.com/millar_marion/status/1396039074239164423?s=19

On Wednesday April the 28th 2021 I received a call from a PC Laura Daley from police scotland requesting i attend an interview for homophobic and transphobic tweets under the milacious communications act.

I was asked to attend that coming Friday, she told me I had to attend East Kilbride police station so I could be then transported to Cathcart police station in a police car because I would have to go to a police station where there is holding cells, I would be then processed, questioned and then most likely charged.

I told her I would not be attending any interview on that day especially with it being a bank holiday weekend because my autistic twins needed me and I was scared I would be held all weekend.

To this she told me she would attend my house with social workers for my boys.

I contacted a solicitor straight away and he was unable to get PC Daley so for the first bank holiday in May I sent my disabled twins away for fear of this officer carrying out this threat.

This absolute nonsense has been hanging over my head for a month, I can barely sleep
or eat and I still don't know what the offending tweet is, my new interview has been scheduled for Thursday the 27th May, I will find out what I am supposed to have said at that point and if I will be indeed charged, again at another bank holiday, I just want to say, anyone who knows me, knows I am not homophobic or transphobic, I am a hard working mummy who would fight to the end for the safety and dignity of women and girls and for my vulnerable twinnies.

If we sit back and do nothing we will regret it for ever. For this reason I will never
Wheesht.

#WomenWontWheesht

Here's an interesting contrast from France:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9648075/Mass-trial-13-people-begins-Paris-death-threats-sent-French-teenager.html

The woman being very rude against the religion/ideology gets the support of the state while those sending her deaths threats are in a great deal of trouble. How about this for a defence:

But defence lawyers have argued that the 13 on trial are unfairly taking the rap as scapegoats for thousands of people taking advantage of the anonymity offered by social media platforms.

In other words, the more people there are who send death threats, the lower the seriousness of each threat. Apparently.

@Cwenthryth

That would be my take too GoldenBlue. But Marion Millar stands accused of malicious communication with hate crime aggravator so the prosecution must believe that a protected characteristic was targeted.

She has been charged with this by the police but the police don’t make the decision whether or not to prosecute. It gets referred to the prosecution authorities (Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal in Scotland) for their decision whether or not to proceed. I am not clear if the COPFS have considered this case yet.

The Stafford knot, more commonly known as the Staffordshire knot, is a distinctive three-looped knot that is the traditional symbol of the English county of Staffordshire and of its county town, Stafford. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stafford_knot

It also looks rather like a triple noose. (I can't work out how to do pictures. Could someone help out on this?).

Why has no-one been prosecuted for this? It's a disgrace!

I take it it's time for us all to start wearing scarfs in the suffragette colours right and tying ribbons everywhere?

@Defaultname

The Stafford knot, more commonly known as the Staffordshire knot, is a distinctive three-looped knot that is the traditional symbol of the English county of Staffordshire and of its county town, Stafford. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stafford_knot

It also looks rather like a triple noose. (I can't work out how to do pictures. Could someone help out on this?).

Why has no-one been prosecuted for this? It's a disgrace!

I'm assuming the only reason all of the inhabitants of Staffordshire haven't been arrested is that the police are still working out the logistics of which stations with holding cells everyone will need to present themselves to.

@Nodal

I take it it's time for us all to start wearing scarfs in the suffragette colours right and tying ribbons everywhere?

Scarf, you say? Scarf? Of what are you thinking? I've even stopped wearing sock-suspenders. In fact, I'm calling for the sale of elastic to be banned, and for Boy Scouts to have their toggles removed. stuckinthewoods.info/hikers-rescue-rope/

I think you’re being charitable, Grellbrunt.

For me the concept of “how much men hate women” comes from Germaine Greer, have you read The Female Eunuch? It’s the visceral disgust provoked by the reality of the female sexed body, our biological processes and anatomy considered gross, dirty, unsanitary, offensive - it does amount to hatred to me, and underlies a lot of misogyny.

(Obv NAMALT disclaimer before anyone tries to twist anything!)

Ah. I see that Staffordshire Police also use the 'triple noose' logo, including on their Smart Alert page www.staffordshire.police.uk/police-forces/staffordshire-police/areas/staffordshire-police/campaigns/2019/smart-alert/

How is this not triggering?

That’s a pretzel isn’t it? 🥨

I've just ordered this scarf to show support for Marion www.ollieandfred.co.uk/product-page/sylvia I do hope none of my family think I'm feeling suicidal. I wear a scarf most days, so hopefully not.

She has been charged with this by the police but the police don’t make the decision whether or not to prosecute. It gets referred to the prosecution authorities (Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal in Scotland) for their decision whether or not to proceed.

That does seem arse about face doesn’t it? I’m sure when watching real-life police shows on the tellybox the officers have phone conversations with CPS before charging. I’m sure this is what police family member has said happens too; we are in England though.

How is there court date set, if the prosecution is not confirmed by all required authorities? Are Scottish courts in the habit of making provisional bookings?

I think there is a fancy kilt maker who makes suffragette tartan scarfs. I’ll need to have a think who they are...

@toffeebutterpopcorn

I think there is a fancy kilt maker who makes suffragette tartan scarfs. I’ll need to have a think who they are...

The Ministry of Tartan sell them. Not cheap, mind.

And their Suffragette tartan is on the Register of Tartans.

Plenty of cases in England get dropped by the CPS in Q1 2021 it appears that 16.8% of Domestic Abuse prosecutions were dropped.

Over 1/3 of all dropped cases in that period were dropped for public interest reasons.

@toffeebutterpopcorn

That’s a pretzel isn’t it? 🥨

And pretzels aren't triggering?

That reminds me; I must sue Heinz for some of the insults I've received via their alphabet pasta...

Anyone else waiting to see what the tweets said before jumping to any conclusions?

Like that scarf Nodal, I'll have to buy one and make sure I knot it appropriately.

@BilindaB

Anyone else waiting to see what the tweets said before jumping to any conclusions?

It's a good point, but so is the one which points out all the threats over the last X years which have not had police-officers acting.

Brunel have issued a statement:

twitter.com/Bruneluni/status/1400768068230520835

[quote SudokuMania]Brunel have issued a statement:

twitter.com/Bruneluni/status/1400768068230520835[/quote]
That's actually quite a good statement, nice to see someone actually acting decisively on clear threats like that.

Anyone else waiting to see what the tweets said before jumping to any conclusions

They can't be very terrible, or the police wouldn't have needed to include the completely innocuous ribbon tweet to bolster their case...

Fucking hell, a university acting quickly and appropriately, and fully acknowledging a bad mistake. Fair play to Brunel.

@BilindaB

Anyone else waiting to see what the tweets said before jumping to any conclusions?

The tweet showed some purple, white and green ribbons, tied to a fence mind you.

Anyone else waiting to see what the tweets said before jumping to any conclusions

They can't be very terrible, or the police wouldn't have needed to include the completely innocuous ribbon tweet to bolster their case...

Although I'm a little bit curious as to why the defence side has chosen only to publicise the ribbon tweet, but it's keeping quiet over the others.

Although I'm a little bit curious as to why the defence side has chosen only to publicise the ribbon tweet, but it's keeping quiet over the others. There are quite a few places that her tweets are still readable, her own Twitter feed for a start. She has a very robust style and almost every single tweet could be one of the six. She reports not having removed any of them, nor has Twitter. So they are ALL still there. She, the defendant, has not hidden or kept quiet about anything - quite the contrary!

That reminds me; I must sue Heinz for some of the insults I've received via their alphabet pasta...