J.K. Rowling dares cops to arrest her under new hate crime law

Scottish police have made a decision on whether Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling’s anti-transgender views are criminal or not as complaints flooded in.

Police Scotland received complaints against J.K. Rowling under the Scottish National Party’s new hate crime laws after the author mocked high profile trans people’s claims to be women.

But investigators say they will not take action against the mother of two under the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act which creates a new criminal offence of “stirring up of hatred”.

After news that police in Scotland would not arrest her despite goading them to “arrest me” on Twitter/X, Rowling wrote: “I hope every woman in Scotland who wishes to speak up for the reality and importance of biological sex will be reassured by this announcement, and I trust that all women – irrespective of profile or financial means – will be treated equally under the law.”

The Harry Potter author’s tweets generated complaints to police when she posted pictures of 10 high-profile trans people on Monday and ridiculed their claims to be women.

She then dared Police Scotland to use the new laws that came into effect on Monday to arrest her in a move which received the support of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

British writer J.K Rowling has been deemed by Scottish police as “not criminal” despite her anti-transgender views. Picture: AFP

A Police Scotland spokesman said: “We have received complaints in relation to the social media post.

“The comments are not assessed to be criminal and no further action will be taken.”

The new laws extend a previous “stirring up hatred” offence which only applied to race to other “protected characteristics” including age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity and “variations in sex characteristics”.

The outspoken best-selling author, who has a home in Edinburgh and a net worth of approximately A$1.5bn, previously posted on Twitter/X: “Freedom of speech and belief are at an end in Scotland if the accurate description of biological sex is deemed criminal.”

Writing on Easter Monday, which was also April Fool’s Day, she went on: “I’m currently out of the country, but if what I’ve written here qualifies as an offence under the terms of the new act, I look forward to being arrested when I return to the birthplace of the Scottish Enlightenment.”

The author posted pictures of 10 high-profile trans people on the social media platform and challenged their claims to be women.

🎉🌼🌸April Fools! 🌸🌼🎉

Only kidding. Obviously, the people mentioned in the above tweets aren't women at all, but men, every last one of them.

In passing the Scottish Hate Crime Act, Scottish lawmakers seem to have placed higher value on the feelings of men performing their…

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 1, 2024

Writing about Briton Isla Bryson, who was initially sent to a women’s prison after being convicted of two rapes, she said: “Double rapist Isla Bryson found her true authentic female self shortly before she was due to be sentenced. “Misgendering is hate, so respect Isla’s pronouns, please. Love the leggings!”

Lovely Scottish lass and convicted double rapist Isla Bryson found her true authentic female self shortly before she was due to be sentenced. Misgendering is hate, so respect Isla’s pronouns, please. Love the leggings! 2/11 pic.twitter.com/aKgOWRdb4K

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 1, 2024

Others she listed were trans butcher Andrew Miller, 53, who also used the name Amy George. “He abducted a young girl in the Scottish Borders while dressed as a woman and abused her for 27 hours.”

Scottish woman and butcher Amy George abducted an 11-year-old girl while dressed in female clothing. No idea why this was mentioned in court – of course she was wearing women’s clothing, she's a woman! Amy took the girl home and sexually abused her over a 27-hour period. 5/11 pic.twitter.com/xy3DmnqZrc

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 1, 2024

She also mentioned a trans pedophile Katie Dolatowski, who sexually assaulted a girl, 10, in the toilet of a supermarket in Kirkcaldy, Fife.

Samantha Norris was cleared of exposing her penis to two 11-year-old girls. Hooray! Unfortunately she was then convicted for possession of 16,000 images of children being raped and sexually assaulted. Be that as it may, Sam’s still a lady to me! 4/11 pic.twitter.com/GG2kLql3Ea

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 1, 2024

After she publicly branded British TV personality India Willoughby a man, activists called for Rowling’s arrest under laws for “misgendering”.

By passing the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act, Rowling said Members of the Scottish Parliament had “placed higher value on the feelings of men performing their idea of femaleness …. than on the rights and freedoms of actual women and girls.”

British author J. K. Rowling has railed against a new hate crime law saying it places a higher value on the “feelings of men” than the rights and women and girls. Picture: AFP

“The new legislation is wide open to abuse by activists who wish to silence those of us speaking out about the dangers of eliminating women’s and girls’ single-sex spaces, the nonsense made of crime data if violent and sexual assaults committed by men are recorded as female crimes, the grotesque unfairness of allowing males to compete in female sports, the injustice of women’s jobs, honours and opportunities being taken by trans-identified men, and the reality and immutability of biological sex,” the famous author said.

Scotland's Hate Crime Act comes into effect today. Women gain no additional protections, of course, but well-known trans activist Beth Douglas, darling of prominent Scottish politicians, falls within a protected category. Phew! 1/11 pic.twitter.com/gCKGwdjr5m

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 1, 2024

After posting about each person she wrote: “April Fools! Only kidding. Obviously, the people mentioned in the above tweets aren’t women at all, but men, every last one of them.”

She finished her social media posts with the hashtag “arrest me”.

PM Rishi Sunak backed Rowling, saying: “People should not be criminalised for stating simple facts on biology. We believe in free speech in this country.”

Rowling’s comments came as SNP community safety minister, Siobhian Brown, stated that misgendering by calling a trans woman “he” would “not at all” fall foul of legislation.

She swiftly changed her mind when publicly challenged and said under the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act, it would be for the police to decide.

The law, which came into force on Monday, creates a criminal offence of “stirring up of hatred”, and is an extension on a similar offence based on racist abuse.

The new legislation covers hatred based on age, disability, race, religion, sexual orientation and transgender identity.

Originally published as J.K. Rowling dares cops to arrest her under new hate crime law