Police Scotland stated that they do not believe there are any crimes in the works of renowned writer J.K. Rowling. Likewise, the authorities explained to the BBC that they received several complaints about Rowling's comments, however, they will not take action.
"Social media comments made by JK Rowling challenging Scotland's new hate crime law are not being treated as criminal, Police Scotland has said", the BBC reported, citing police sources.
The police position comes as the new Hate Crime and Public Order Act came into force in Scotland. The Law makes it a crime to incite hatred against protected characteristics, including age, disability, religion, sexual orientation and gender identity, according to the Scottish newspaper The National.
The renowned writer of the Harry Potter saga challenged the new law on the same day it came into effect when she once again criticized trans people (in the case of men who perceive themselves as women). Rowling published a thread on her X account in which she talked about several transsexual people. In addition, she maintained that she is currently outside Scotland, but that "if what I have written here is considered an offense under the terms of the new law, I expect to be arrested when I return."
"It is impossible to accurately describe or tackle the reality of violence and sexual violence committed against women and girls, or address the current assault on women’s and girls’ rights, unless we are allowed to call a man a man. Freedom of speech and belief are at an end in Scotland if the accurate description of biological sex is deemed criminal," Rowling added in her messages.
Hours before the police position was known, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak backed Rowling's stance. Sunak maintained that the United Kingdom respects freedom of expression. "We should not be criminalising people saying common sense things about biological sex, clearly that isn't right," Sunak said.
Already last month, Rajan Barot - a lawyer and former fraud prosecutor - had warned the writer about the entry into force of the law for her messages against the LGBT community. However, Rowling made it clear that she has no intention of censuring or retracting her past comments. "you are best advised to delete the posts about India Willoughby as they will most likely contravene the new law. Start deleting!" Barot wrote on X.
Rowling replied: "If you genuinely imagine I'd delete posts calling a man a man, so as not to be prosecuted under this ludicrous law, stand by for the mother of all April Fools' jokes."
