A journalist with the London Telegraph has been visited unannounced at her home by police in the UK who told her they are investigating a “non-crime hate incident” over a tweet she posted a year ago.
Yes, really.
Allison Pearson relates what happened on Sunday in an article, noting that police will not tell her which post is the subject of the investigation, nor will they tell her who her accuser is or what they feel offended about.
The only detail given was that it is some sort of accusation of “racial hatred”.
The police also made it clear that she should refer to her accuser as a “victim”.
The Telegraph notes that Essex Police said on Tuesday night that officers had opened an investigation under section 17 of the Public Order Act 1986 relating to material allegedly “likely or intended to cause racial hatred”.
A police spokesman said “We’re investigating a report passed to us by another force. The report relates to a social media post which was subsequently removed. An investigation is now being carried out under section 17 of the Public Order Act.”
Pearson charges that the visit is “living proof of a two tier justice system,” and describes the incident as “Kafkaesque.”