Wednesday, 5 October 2022
Surrey Police are being criticised over their handling of an arrest of a woman in Guildford
A 48-year-old woman has been accused of sending “grossly offensive messages”, relating to posts on a forum allegedly relating to criticism of people’s gender.
She has since tweeted that when she was arrested and read her rights, her response to that was based around people’s genitals.
Surrey Police says they will not be providing a running commentary on the case, and they will not “pre-empt or prejudice” future proceedings.
Their statement on the arrest has received over 1,000 replies on social media.
Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner Lisa Townsend, who also holds gender-critical views, says she’s spoken to the force to “seek clarification” around the circumstances of the investigation.
Temporary Detective Chief Inspector David Bentley said: “There is significant commentary on social media around the perceived circumstances behind this investigation. We do not have the freedom of detailing every stage of our inquiries or the specifics of an allegation on social media as it is critical we do not pre-empt or prejudice any future proceedings at any stage.
"When we receive an allegation of a crime, in this instance one where a grossly offensive message is said to have been communicated, it is our job to assess it alongside any available evidence to identify if an offence has been committed. If it has, we gather further evidence and carry out an investigation to prove or disprove the allegation. That is exactly the process that is being followed in this case.
“The investigation into these allegations is very much ongoing and the relevant inquiries are being carried out. We have a duty to protect the integrity of an investigation, so we will not be providing a running commentary on this case.”
posted by Radio Jackie News Team @ 7:10 am
