A British journalist has been arrested by UK police for allegedly posting a “grossly offensive message” online.
Officers from the UK’s Surrey Police force arrested journalist Caroline Farrow at her home.
According to Farrow, police forced their way into her home, without a warrant, and raided the property.
The officers reportedly seized Farrow’s electronic devices, took her into custody, and questioned her at Guildford Police Station.
Farrow was later released but remains under investigation.
The mother of five has denied posting the messages, however.
She says that she was falsely accused of posting messages that were written by other people.
Farrow slammed the police for heavy-handed arrest, describing their actions as “absurd.”
“I haven’t sent any threatening or indecent messages,” Farrow tweeted.
“I was shown posts from KiwiFarms written by other people.
“I suspect these are the grossly indecent and threatening messages.”
In a statement, Surrey Police said:
“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 offense 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.”
According to Farrow, two police officers showed up at her home while she was preparing dinner.
She says the cops told her that they’d come to arrest her for “malicious comms.”
Farrow said she asked the officers whether they had a warrant but they told her they don’t need one and one officer barged his way into her home.
How it started. No warrant. I opened the door and this guy pushed it open to come in. pic.twitter.com/V1IAEBSh5Z
— Caroline Farrow (@CF_Farrow) October 4, 2022
Farrow claimed that all of her devices were seized by the police, including a Chromebook that she was using for work.
She says the cops also seized an iPad that her 10-year-old daughter with autism uses for homeschooling and to store her Harry Potter audiobooks.
Farrow added that because her devices were charging in the parish offices where her husband works, which is a separate building from her house, the police also obtained permission to enter church premises.
“My husband didn’t want his parish office and workspace invaded by plod [police officers] investigating whether his wife used insulting words on the internet,” Farrow tweeted.
“He couldn’t actually believe what was unfolding.”
Farrow claimed that she was frisked, arrested, and then held in cells for a few hours.
How it finished. Being frisked and whisked off to be taken to the cells and shown some memes posted by someone else. pic.twitter.com/dC8GVD6Vra
— Caroline Farrow (@CF_Farrow) October 4, 2022
Farrow said the police sergeant told her that emailing people “malicious messages” was a crime.
However, officers then clarified that she hadn’t emailed anyone but had “allegedly written some insulting messages on the Internet.”
Farrow also claimed that police officers admitted they had no evidence of her posting the alleged insulting messages.
“I asked to see evidence of lots of allegations,” Farrow tweeted.
“The police said ‘we don’t have any yet, that’s why we’re talking to you, to get your side.’
“It’s really worrying they can do this.
“I happily gave them all the passwords for all my devices.”
“It’s scary that the police can take someone’s word for something and just come and arrest you,” Farrow added.
“All they could say is ‘we’ve had an allegation which needs to be investigated.’”
Farrow said her family is “appalled, horrified, and angry.”
“An allegation of a crime where a grossly indecent message is said to have been communicated.”
This is absurd @surreypolice
Was it communicated or not? How can it be said to be? How can you take any action in that context? 🤡
— Caroline Farrow (@CF_Farrow) October 4, 2022
Farrow was previously investigated by police after she was accused of “misgendering” someone on Twitter.
While Farrow maintains her innocence of the accusations, the event is the latest story about British police trying to arrest people over “offensive” speech.
Surrey Police previously visited the home of a parish councilor to warn him that he could be arrested for posting an image that said “trans rights are very, very boring” on Facebook.
Police in other parts of the country have also sent five officers to arrest a man for posting an LGBT flag swastika on social media.
Meanwhile, cops visited the home of a women’s rights campaigner for “being untoward about pedophiles” in a YouTube video.
The new Justice Secretary Brandon Lewis has spoken out in support of people’s free speech rights and said that they will soon be protected by new laws.
The Justice Secretary said he would bring forward new laws to protect free speech.
Lewis argues that people should be able to speak freely, even if others are offended by their comments.
“I fundamentally agree in people’s right to offend,” Mr. Lewis told a Policy Exchange meeting at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham this week.
“We need to ensure that we have a system of human rights that doesn’t create or give cover for cancel culture.
“I feel that today there’s a certain difference to what happened in the past because even our tolerance has changed.
“We are less tolerant of others and that is evolution and that happens to debate.
“If you restrict people’s ability to debate and you have a punitive culture then things don’t move on and they become trapped in one person’s worldview, which I think is very, very dangerous.”
