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

This is chilling and so distressing for Marion. A total abuse of power and outrageous given the very real threats and abuse she has been subjected to.

As an aside can someone tell me what “Wheesht” means?

but she does make a distinction between these groups and genuine trans people on several occasions.

I hear this quite often but given over half the transwomen in prison are there for sexual offences it is clear that some "genuine trans people" are also predators.

Wheesht is scottish for be quiet, be silent

@Sunshineonarainydayy

Wheesht is scottish for be quiet, be silent

There's a TRA on twitter telling Scottish women they're using it wrong

Not much to say that hasn’t been said already, but for those who think this is a good development, what do you think of, for example, the torrent of abuse that JK Rowling received on Twitter- should the police not have been equally quick off the mark in chasing down the perpetrators of that?

@BetterThanKleenex

I'm delighted to hear it! :)

Hear what?

It's a bit one sided... There are definitely more urgent things,like burglary, to deal with.

Or Joanna Cherry, who has had absolutely no support from SNP - her own party.
Not even a bland comment saying something like 'all aggression is bad'.

So the law does not apply to feminists?

What, you mean a vague law that (at least) somewhat contradicts the principle of free speech? And an unspecified tweet?

No, it doesn't apply to feminists, because it shouldn't apply to anyone. Now if there were clear evidence of inciting a crime, e.g. calling for attacks on people, that's obviously different.

We have already had cases thrown out of court with no case to answer where the stonewall trained police and CPS have acted like a private protection service for TRAs. It is not just MPs or MSPs.

Yes, the police are independent and have room to decide their own priorities when they go about enforcing the law. While it's certainly possible that this kind of behaviour could have been directly encouraged by political leaders, they could also have just decided it was a good idea on their own initiative.

@MiladyBerserko

Why would the Hate Crime Bill law not be used yet? Has it passed all the stages?

The Act has been passed but it is only in force for the purposes of a couple of technical clauses. One of the technical clauses is the one giving Scottish Ministers the power to bring in regulations (i.e Statutory Instruments i.e secondary legislation) as to how it will work.

Without thinking too hard I can think of several Acts which have been around for years which are only partially in force.

@SakuraEdenSwan1

So the law does not apply to feminists?

The Police have a job to do, never mind fuck em blah blah blah, attend the interview and be grateful they did not come out and arrest you, stop using your kids as an excuse not to cooperate.

Using your kids as an excuse?

It's an excuse to not intend on leaving your children at home alone for an indeterminate amount of time is it? A feminist position? You consider this an excuse? Mind boggling.

If there is an arrestable offence then they absolutely should come out and arrest her. There isn't though, is there?

The Malicious Communications Act 1988 has a startling breadth.

YY.

It's very interesting on Twitter that the #ACAB and #defundthepolice lot are fully behind the police being used as a tool of political intimidation. They're scarily totalitarian.

Absolutely.

Knowing that area I can guarantee there are a shitload of actual real violent homophobes there that they could go after, but they won't because they're too scared.

Haven't quite a few of the people on the receiving end of this kind of behaviour from the police said that veiled threats about their children ending up in care have been a part of it? A few years ago a friend of mine was organising a very mild one day environmental protest and two officers turned up at her house, saying things like, 'Have you thought about how your children will survive in care if you and your husband are sent to prison?' They were only going to be holding a few placards in a wood. I can't imagine the police pop round for threatening chats in the homes of known burglars and muggers in the evening.

@TheoMeo

The police enact the Laws - don't whinge about nasty police when it's actually wanker MSPs

The police enact the laws - when it suits them.

'"Get over your vagina envy'

We don't know which tweet is the problem as it seems like she hasn't been told, or her solicitor..!

If it's that one then I hope the activists are coming down hard on Freud. Getting him removed from any and all books/ university courses. Burning his books as some did with jkr (or said they were going to). Vandalising statues or demanding they be removed etc etc etc etc

Getting the police onto any Freudian psychologists etc who may be about....

As for this blind support for the police. It's rife at the moment.

Really worrying.

There are lots of replies to the Twitter thread saying that she doesn’t have to attend any interview and that they are only inviting her to interview in the hopes she will incriminate herself so the best thing is not to go. But most people here seem to be assuming she will go.

Just wondering if there’s anyone on here who knows what the truth is! Does she have to attend? Is she at risk of being arrested if she doesn’t, or is that unclear?

In general and this is s guess if you are told to come for interview under suspicion of s crime and you don't show they'd come and get you.

Otherwise it would be pretty easy to evade justice for loads of things!

Does she have to attend? Is she at risk of being arrested if she doesn’t, or is that unclear?

She has a solicitor who will be advising her.

While it's certainly possible that this kind of behaviour could have been directly encouraged by political leaders, they could also have just decided it was a good idea on their own initiative

I don't think political leaders. I do think police Scotland's LGBT group / Stonewall (Police Scotland are signed up)

@NiceGerbil

In general and this is s guess if you are told to come for interview under suspicion of s crime and you don't show they'd come and get you.

Otherwise it would be pretty easy to evade justice for loads of things!

Yes, but they have to get a warrant for arrest to come and get you. If they could do that they would have done already.

If it's a low level crime surely they don't bother with all that paperwork unless the person doesn't comply?

Anyone actually know Scottish police procedure around questioning caution arrest etc etc.. When they would need a station with a holding cell and when in the station would be enough.

Holding cell is presumably if they think your questioning will take ages, they might need to hold you until remand (dangerous) etc etc?

If it were standard for everyone for all crimes then all I'd have thought they'd all have the facilities for it.