Catholic mum-of-five investigated by police after 'misgendering' a transgender child on Twitter
A Catholic journalist claims she is being investigated by police for calling a transgender woman a man on Twitter.
Mum-of-five Caroline Farrow said she has been told by Surrey Police that they “want to conduct a taped interview under caution” because of posts she made on social media in September.
The comments were made after she appeared on ITV’s Good Morning Britain alongside Susie Green, whose daughter Jackie Green is transgender, to discuss the Girl Guides’ decision to let children who have changed their gender join.
The police’s decision to launch an investigation is an “outrage”, she tweeted on Tuesday, adding: “I can’t sleep I am so furious.”
Here’s the GMB interview the police referred to. From what I understand this wasn’t illegal but some follow-up tweets were. https://t.co/suOELE7aSK
— Caroline Farrow (@CF_Farrow) March 18, 2019
She said: “I don’t even remember said tweets! I probably said ‘he’ or ‘son’ or something.
“All I have been told is that following an appearance on Good Morning Britain I made some tweets misgendering Susie Green’s child and that I need to attend a taped interview.
“I have pointed out to police that I am a Catholic journalist/commentator and it is my religious belief that a person cannot change sex.”
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Ms Green, founder of trans charity Mermaids, defended reporting Ms Farrow to the police, saying it was not because her daughter had been misgendered.
She told the Victoria Derbyshire show this morning: “A journalist with a public platform used that to send very deliberate, malicious messages.
“It’s not just the misgendering, it’s actually the context she puts it into – she calls me a child abuser.”
However Ms Farrow disputed those claims, tweeting: “Whatever Susie Green claims on @vicderbyshire all I have been told is that I ‘misgendered her daughter’. I am under police investigation. I cannot comment.”
All I know is that the police want to conduct a taped interview under caution because of tweets I sent “misgendering Susie Green’s daughter following a GMB interview.” That’s all I have been told. I know I haven’t ever tweeted Jackie Green directly or directed any abuse at them.
— Caroline Farrow (@CF_Farrow) March 19, 2019
Thing is, I try really hard not to misgender people. So if I did so it was inadvertent and Freudian. I can’t help think of a teenager who is having their penis and testicles removed, as male. Mea maxima culpa.
— Caroline Farrow (@CF_Farrow) March 19, 2019
Ms Farrow added that she would “happily do jail time” for her “right to say that people cannot change sex”.
Ms Farrow said she had been “overwhelmed by the support” she had received over the incident, adding: “Thank you.”
She argued that she had done nothing wrong and the mistake was “inadvertent and Freudian” as she tries “really hard not to misgender people”.
A police spokesman said: “A thorough investigation is being carried out to establish whether any criminal offences have taken place.
‘She sent very deliberately malicious and nasty messages’
Founder of trans charity Mermaids- Susie Green – on tweets journalist Caroline Farrow sent about her daughter, who transitioned as a teen.
She explains why she reported the tweets to the police. pic.twitter.com/mB4QWzJCF1
— Victoria Derbyshire (@VictoriaLIVE) March 20, 2019
Whatever Susie Green claims on @vicderbyshire all I have been told is that I “misgendered her daughter”. I am under police investigation. I cannot comment.
— Caroline Farrow (@CF_Farrow) March 20, 2019
This is a public witch-hunt. Whether or not I am in breach of the Malicious Communications Act or have broken the law needs to be investigated by the police & a court of law. Not the @vicderbyshire show.
— Caroline Farrow (@CF_Farrow) March 20, 2019
“We received an allegation on October 25 2018 in relation to a number of tweets which were posted in October 2018.
“A 44-year-old woman has been asked to attend a voluntary interview in relation to the allegation as part of our ongoing investigation.
“We have been made aware that a number of allegations have since been made on Twitter and we will be making contact with the person concerned in relation to these posts.”
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said in November that forces should focus their resources on tackling violence over other types of crime.