A 55-year-old woman was recently taken into custody by the Cheshire police in the United Kingdom due to a misleading social media post. The post in question contained incorrect information regarding the identity of the perpetrator involved in the Southport murders. The arrest serves as a stark reminder of the potential dangers and consequences of sharing unchecked information on social media platforms, according to Chief Superintendent Alison Ross.
The woman, a resident near Chester, was arrested on suspicion of publishing written material intended to incite racial hatred, a violation of the Public Order Act of 1986, and for spreading false communications, a breach of the Online Safety Act of 2023. Chester is located approximately a mile east of the England-Wales border and about 40 minutes south of Liverpool.
The woman is currently being held in police custody, where she is assisting officers with their investigation. The arrest comes in the wake of a mass stabbing incident that occurred on July 29 at a Taylor Swift-themed children’s dance class in Southport. A 17-year-old male, identified as Axel Rudakubana, was charged with three counts of murder and ten counts of attempted murder in connection with the incident.
Initial reports from officials suggested no evidence of terrorism as a motive in the Southport knife attack. This assertion sparked outrage among many who accused the government of suppressing evidence. Rudakubana, originally from Cardiff and of Rwandan parentage, was identified as the suspect.
The day following the stabbings, violence and unrest spread across the United Kingdom. Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the violence, attributing it to “far-right thuggery.” In a related incident, Ricky Jones, a now-suspended U.K. Labour Party Councillor, was reportedly arrested on suspicion of inciting murder of anti-immigration protesters during a public speech in London.
In the aftermath of the knife attack, radio host Glenn Beck, co-founder of Blaze Media, criticized what he termed as “two-tier justice” in the U.K., where he claimed police were more lenient towards crimes committed by Muslim immigrants while being harsher on non-Muslims.
Chief Superintendent Alison Ross reiterated the importance of verifying information before sharing it on social media platforms, highlighting the role of inaccurate online communications in fueling the recent violent disorder across the U.K. Stephen Parkinson, director of public prosecutions of England and Wales, also warned against the distribution of material intended to incite racial hatred.