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

It's stressful, though, isn't it, calling the police's bluff?

And women shouldn't have to.

It would be great if someone had a precis of Scottish approach to questioning, caution, arrest etc.

I've googled and there are docs but it's hard to get initial process rather than prison transfer as I don't know the right terms. The docs are very heavy as well and I don't have time.

It would be really useful to know if the approach taken to this woman is standard for all crimes irrespective of severity and also if it's low level whether it's standard to take kids into care rather than giving a couple days to sort it out if person is not seen as a flight risk.

@NiceGerbil

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.

They don't "bother" because they have no crime to get a warrant with. The interview is a fishing trip and for intimidation purposes.

If they have nothing to get an arrest warrant, they have nothing.

Her solicitor will likely advise her to say"no comment" to every question and that will be the end of it.

Well this is my point.

A pp said why should this woman get special treatment just because she's got kids.

My point is that although I don't know (but would be interested to know!) whether what she's been told will happen is standard for suspicion of low level crime. I strongly suspect it isn't. And anyone who claims it is and this is about women wanting special exceptions is incorrect.

It's not a special exception to know that the police ask you to a voluntary interview if they don't have enough evidence to arrest you. They are hoping to get her to say things to reinforce their case and stick her in a cell while they try to get a warrant. If they already had enough evidence they would arrest her. Anyway this PC has clearly decided to use a voluntary interview to intimidate this woman, the social worker bit was extremely nasty.

And knowing that Marion would know the psychological impact being taken into care by complete strangers would have on her two autistic children.

Her disabled children have been used to control her.

It's reprehensible and disablist. I will never ever forget this. The constable should not be in the force.

"Toe the line, or we'll traumatise your disabled children".

Quite a hill to die on, Police Scotland.

@PurgatoryOfPotholes

"Toe the line, or we'll traumatise your disabled children".

Quite a hill to die on, Police Scotland.

Yes that's it exactly. Threatening women that their children could be removed from them by social work is very intimidating.

A digression, but did anyone see on Twitter earlier this week a man in England tweeting about his wife's experience of going for a Covid vaccination with their baby? The vaccinator refused to vaccinate her because she had her baby with her, and then went on to say they would have to call social services because she was putting her baby at risk by bringing them to the appointment. NHS head in the area has apparently apologised to the woman (and hopefully vaccinator given some retraining) but it's just another example of keeping women in their place - threaten them with the loss of their children.

What the hell. What are primary carers supposed to do with their children? Especially when yiu can't mix households for childcare?!

@PurgatoryOfPotholes

And knowing that Marion would know the psychological impact being taken into care by complete strangers would have on her two autistic children.

Her disabled children have been used to control her.

It's reprehensible and disablist. I will never ever forget this. The constable should not be in the force.

@Glinner has a bit of info on the constable in question. I don't think you'll be surprised

grahamlinehan.substack.com/p/all-eyes-on-this-one?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxNDIwNTc1NSwicG9zdF9pZCI6MzY3MTg5NTAsIl8iOiJkTkJyUyIsImlhdCI6MTYyMTcyNTY4OSwiZXhwIjoxNjIxNzI5Mjg5LCJpc3MiOiJwdWItNjczMDkiLCJzdWIiOiJwb3N0LXJlYWN0aW9uIn0.t4mXxRIDNKtnxFCxQTzr3W0FqZDQz_a9xdwwGD4srNQ

(I mean the rainbow lanyard.)

Scottish former defence lawyer.

She does have to attend or they will come for her but her lawyer should insist she presents to the station she is to be interviewed in. EK does not have holding cells but telling her to present there for travel to Cathcart is just an intimidation tactic. EK is in South Lanarkshire and Hamilton would be closer for cells. The police do not have to tell her in advance what they want to question her about and routinely never do (it's quite different to my understanding of what happens in England). Very unlikely she would be held in custody for this type of offence (presuming no record) in the current climate. Again, bull boy tactics by Police Scotland.

Thank you ginger that's really interesting. It's really tricky when you don't actually know!

Thanks also for giving your professional opinion of their approach.

@Ginger1982

Scottish former defence lawyer.

She does have to attend or they will come for her but her lawyer should insist she presents to the station she is to be interviewed in. EK does not have holding cells but telling her to present there for travel to Cathcart is just an intimidation tactic. EK is in South Lanarkshire and Hamilton would be closer for cells. The police do not have to tell her in advance what they want to question her about and routinely never do (it's quite different to my understanding of what happens in England). Very unlikely she would be held in custody for this type of offence (presuming no record) in the current climate. Again, bull boy tactics by Police Scotland.

Thank you.

This is shocking.

I hope some more senior police officer has got a handle on this.

I dunno we've had so much of this across the UK in general and having it in the news etc that you'd think police etc across all the countries would have said hmm let's back off eh. If they wanted to.

They know what they're doing.

@ItsAllGoingToBeFine

Why on earth is a holding cell required anyway? Is this normal practice? She isn't violent or likely to be a flight risk, so why would this be necessary

Threatened with holding cells.
Threatened with removal of her children.
Threatened with being detained over holiday weekend.
Not being told the detail of her purported offence.
Told she will be being charged.

Is this really normal police procedure for a (most likely) non criminal tweet?

Is it time for a protest in the real world about this? such as an installation of shoes or some other visual protest outside East Kilbride police station and/or Cathcart police station by grassroots women's organisations about about the police threatening and silencing women for speaking...

There is an article on this in The Times this morning.

Can the police be challenged by the EHRC or legally challenged for even using the word 'homophobic'? Marion Millar works for For Women Scotland (FWS), who standup for women and lesbians

forwomen.scot/22/06/2019/pride-edinburgh/
forwomen.scot/08/09/2019/lesbian-strength-march/
forwomen.scot/18/08/2019/pride-glasgow/

@Dogman

There is an article on this in The Times this morning.

Do you have a link, please? I couldn't find it on the site.

The police need to be accountable for their actions. There needs to be an enquiry into institutional misogyny and officers need to be held to account for this. This is what happens when an ideology is allowed to flourish unchecked.

"I can’t sleep, says accountant Marion Millar in trans tweet row" The Times

Can't link but try googling this ^^

Sharetoken: www.thetimes.co.uk/article/23e1841a-bc17-11eb-8144-d3653cd81e51?shareToken=d1007dd678101574cf382c4b82c6c576

Archive: archive.ph/uQm2J

Welcome to Scotland under the SNP

A spokeswoman for Police Scotland said: “We received two complaints regarding comments made on social media, enquiries into this are ongoing.”

What a complete waste of police time. meanwhile only 1.5% of rape cases lead to a charge or summons

@ScreamingMeMe

(I mean the rainbow lanyard.)

Amazing how protecting the T takes precedence over impacts to any other vulnerable group (e.g. minors, disabled people). Absolutely amazing.

Reminds me of the case in Wales (not Scotland) where a transgender police officer had an autistic teenager prosecuted for hate crime because he asked them whether they were a boy or a girl.

Elaine Nicholson, CEO of Action for Asperger’s said: “This young man is being punished for his condition; having a communication disorder is what Asperger’s is all about.”

She said police guidelines for dealing with members of the public who may have Autism appear not to have been followed. The National Autistic Society’s Guide for Police Officers and Staff warns officers people with Autism sometimes “speak honestly, to the point of bluntness or rudeness”.

Continue reading Autistic Teen Found Guilty of ‘Hate Crime’ for Asking Police Officer’s Sex; Autism Group Condemns Prosecution | Women Are Human. Read more at: www.womenarehuman.com/autistic-teen-found-guilty-of-hate-crime-for-asking-police-officers-sex-autism-group-condemns-prosecution/

I'm sure Scotland is taking notes as we speak.