If you live outside of the dreary, rain-ridden British Isles, it is unlikely you’ve heard of Caroline Farrow.
Farrow, a Catholic journalist, hit the headlines back in 2019 when Surrey Police interrupted preparation for a family meal with her husband and five children at her home bearing a puzzling demand.
She was told she must attend an interview under caution or face arrest because she had used the wrong pronoun to describe a transgender woman online.
Farrow’s crime was to have misgendered a transgender woman called Jackie - saying “him” instead of “her”. Police involvement was further apparently warranted because Farrow described what Jackie’s mother did as amounting to “mutilation” and “castration” by allowing him to undergo “gender reassignment surgery”.
Jackie was only 16 when the reassignment took place in Thailand. A surgery which is now illegal for those under 18.
Below you can watch Farrow recount the ordeal:
Yesterday, she reported police had visited her property again (below is what she posted on her Twitter profile):
Teatime. I was doing a roast chicken. Knock at the door. Two coppers. There’s been an allegation of harassment and malicious comms and we’ve come to arrest you.
Well actually, they came to the door and said there’s been an allegation can we come in. I said “do you have a warrant”, they said we don’t need one and this 6 foot 3 bloke forced his way in.
They seized all my devices including my work chromebook and “the homework iPad”. Which will upset the 10 year old with autism even more because all her Harry Potter audiobooks are stored on there. And now she can’t do homeschooling.
Anyway I got frisked, shoved in a cop car and taken down Guildford Nick, where my wedding jewellery, my stud earrings and my watch was taken off me. A few hours later the solicitor came and I was interviewed.
Custody sarge was a bit embarassed. He told me that emailing people malicious messages was a crime. The PCs told him I hadn’t emailed anyone, but had allegedly written some insulting messages on the internet. Those were their words.
I got shown loads of posts from KiwiFarms from ‘Real Mutha for Ya’ and ‘KitKat.’ I was asked to explain a cartoon that ‘KitKat’ had posted. I explained that I wasn’t responsible for these posts.
Husband was furious. Videoed the whole encounter. When read my rights and told that what I said could be used in evidence against me, I replied that women don’t have a (aubergine emoji)
Police wanted to go into the parish office to seize my devices. Husband said no, they needed a warrant. Police asked why they couldn’t just go in there & husband said “because we don’t trust the police”. They got on the blower for the requisite permission to seize them.
As I was driving off I asked husband to tell work that my work machine had been stolen. 6 foot 3 copper said “seized actually not stolen.” Whatever.
All the kids were pretty distraught. Just picked up a message from my eldest. “Don’t know if you’ve got access to your phone but I’m thinking of you. “It’s not fair this keeps happening, it’s concerning. (Also kind of irritating dad didn’t even contact me I found out from..)”
Anyway. I put my side of the story to the coppers. I’d ask people not to speculate on who reported me, because they will claim harassment. I’m actually feeling pretty harassed and anxious right now, as one might imagine.
It’s irritating that my devices have been seized, but I’m also super happy because I’ve not done the stuff I am accused of and they should exonerate me.
I got the feeling from the copper who checked up on me in the cells, that they were pretty embarrassed by the whole thing. I said to the police in the car “is this what you joined the force for? Arresting mothers for being insulting to their persecutors in social media?”
Just spare a thought for my poor daughter. She is already super clingy. This isn’t going to help. And it’s not done my anxiety a whole load of good either.
Sorry, super-wired. Adrenalin. One highlight. Being shown a photoshopped photo of the queen with her corgis and asked if I had seen that photo before.
I asked to see evidence of lots of allegations. The police said “we don’t have any yet, that’s why we are 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.
I got shown another cartoon and asked to explain what was going on in it. I wasn’t really sure. I had to put my glasses on to squint at the text. #gettingold
Lady police officer told me I seemed like a very nice person so there is that! (thumbs up emoji) #winning
It’s scary that the police can take someone’s word for something and just come and arrest you. All they could say is “we’ve had an allegation which needs to be investigated.”
Oh another thing. I was asked to explain a post on the KiwiFarms that someone else had posted with screenshots from Mumsnet. I was asked if I was someone called “BernardBlacksWineIceLolly” (think that’s right) or “BreakWindandFire”. Err no.
Who is Bernard Black and why do they have an ice lolly? I say all of this because the whole thing is so utterly surreal!
Sorry still wired and awake. So before being put in a cell they take your shoes and check your socks for drugs. They got a bit impatient as I didn’t understand what they were asking me to do when they told me to turn around and put my legs/feet behind me. They then explained.
Police probably thought they had a right lunatic here, because I kissed my cross necklace before putting it in a plastic bag. I’ve never taken it off since it was given to me. At least they kindly let me leave my wedding ring on.
I know it’s procedure, but one minute I am cooking some roast chicken for dinner, the next I am having my socks searched for drugs, because of “insulting posts on the internet.”
As I was released the sarge asked me if I had thoughts of self harm. I replied I did. He then said he would send me back to the cells to think about my answer and that he would section me. I had to clarify that I wouldn’t actually do anything but that I am extremely distressed.
Because obviously years of this is relentless. I’ve been told not to talk about it because it could be construed as more harassment. I’m just explaining factually what happened tonight & not targeting any individual.
Not been charged with anything yet either. Not bailed either. Released under investigation.
So it’s not time for TRAs to pop the champagne corks yet unless they think it’s hilarious to have a mother arrested in front of their autistic children for something she hasn’t done. My family are appalled, horrified and angry.
On Sunday 19th June 2022 I was playing the church organ for the 11am Mass at Holy Angels. A number of accounts posted during that time on KiwiFarms. Tonight the police accused me of being these accounts. A brief check on YouTube would provide an alibi.
Anyone who has played organ for Mass will understand that you cannot be playing on your phone & posting on the internet. It’s not just hymns but also the Mass setting. Besides which I rarely use a phone unless I am visiting a new church and am using the Laudate app for readings.
You can read the original thread here:
Upon reading her account, I thought I might do some investigating into Surrey crime statistics.
In 2022 so far (January to June), according to UK crime stats, there have been 10,128 anti-social behaviour crimes, 2,090 burglary crimes, 228 robbery crimes, 3,223 crimes involving a vehicle, 16,976 violent crimes, 2,192 shoplifting crimes, 4,174 “other theft” crimes, 1,182 crimes involving drugs, 644 bike theft crimes, 356 “theft from the person” crimes, 275 crimes involving a weapon, and 5,305 public order crimes.
A report released last year found that a staggering 85% of crimes recorded in Surrey went unsolved. Of the 66,433 offences recorded in the county in the year to February 2021, only 9,964 were solved - down 7% on the previous year.
Surrey Police Chief, Gavin Stephen, admitted to "not getting good enough justice for victims”.
Seems like you spent too much time dipping those hob nobs into that morning cup of Earl Grey while snooping on online forums huh, Gavin…
Farrow’s ordeal unveils one of Britain’s poorly kept secrets. Some of our police forces are painfully, painfully biased, politically-driven, and poorly-managed.
And to top it off: The police force that reportedly seized her devices, frisked her, shoved her into a cop car, stripped of her personal possessions, placed her in a cell, and threatened her with sectioning for posting some insulting words on the internet did not have evidence to confirm that Farrow posted the comments in the first place.
One thing to remember about a justice system and that is to think of it about a business. Businesses need a constant flow of customers otherwise they’ll die. There’s a lot of people with in the system that need to get paid, judges, clerks, guards,public defenders, police and the list is endless, so in order to justify everyone existence with in the business, there needs to bring a contestant flow of bodies through the business/system. So they will arrest innocent victim in to the system just to keep it full. Think about this. If every cop was straight and narrow, only addressed real crime, not kid crime. The jails would be almost empty.