Authorities have dropped their investigation into The Telegraph columnist Allison Pearson. This comes after Essex Police visited her home on Nov. 10 to investigate a post she made on social media platform X.
Straight Arrow News reported earlier this week that Pearson said she wasn’t told which specific post prompted the investigation or who made the complaint.
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Pearson claimed police told her the incident was being treated as a “non-crime hate incident,” but Essex Police disputed those claims. They clarified the investigation was focused on whether her post had been “inciting racial hatred online.”
The investigation prompted backlash from free speech advocates, including former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Johnson spoke out against the probe in a post on X, writing: “It’s time for Starmer to tell the cops – police the streets, not the tweets,” accompanied by an op-ed he wrote for The Daily Mail.
In a statement, Essex Police confirmed the investigation was closed. The force also said there would be an independent review of how the department handled the matter.
“Essex Police has reviewed this case, having sought advice from the Crown Prosecution Service. They have advised that no charges should be brought. We have concluded therefore that there will be no further action. Everyone has been updated and the investigation is closed,” the statement read.
Pearson responded to the dropped investigation in a post on X, writing in part: “Still deeply upset that I was treated like a criminal for a year-old tweet by @EssexPoliceUK. I’d like an explanation from the Chief Constable.”
[Lauren]
AUTHORITIES ARE DROPPING THEIR INVESTIGATION INTO TELEGRAPH JOURNALIST ALLISON PEARSON OVER A SOCIAL MEDIA POST.
STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS REPORTED EARLIER THIS WEEK THAT ESSEX POLICE VISITED PEARSON’S HOME ON NOVEMBER 10, TO INVESTIGATE A POST SHE MADE ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM X, ALTHOUGH AUTHORITIES WOULDN’T TELL HER WHICH POST OR WHO MADE THE COMPLAINT AGAINST HER.
PEARSON CLAIMED POLICE TOLD HER THE INCIDENT WAS BEING TREATED AS A “NON-CRIME HATE INCIDENT” BUT POLICE REFUTE THOSE CLAIMS, SAYING THEY WERE INVESTIGATING HER POST AS “INCITING RACIAL HATRED ONLINE.”
THE INVESTIGATION SPARKED BACKLASH FROM FREE SPEECH ADVOCATES.
BORIS JOHNSON, FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF THE UNITED KINGDOM SPOKE OUT AGAINST POLICE INVESTIGATING PEARSON SAYING IN A POST ON X: “IT’S TIME FOR STARMER TO TELL THE COPS – POLICE THE STREETS, NOT THE TWEETS” ACCOMPANIED BY AN OP-ED HE WROTE FOR THE ‘DAILY MAIL’
THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE ALLEGED POST IS NOW CLOSED AND THERE WILL BE AN INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF POLICE’S HANDLING OF THE MATTER, ESSEX POLICE SAID IN A STATEMENT.
“ESSEX POLICE HAS REVIEWED THIS CASE, HAVING SOUGHT ADVICE FROM THE CROWN PROSECUTION SERVICE. THEY HAVE ADVISED THAT NO CHARGES SHOULD BE BROUGHT. WE HAVE CONCLUDED THEREFORE THAT THERE WILL BE NO FURTHER ACTION. EVERYONE HAS BEEN UPDATED AND THE INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.”
PEARSON RESPONDED TO THE DROPPED INVESTIGATION IN A POST ON X, WRITING IN PART: “STILL DEEPLY UPSET THAT I WAS TREATED LIKE A CRIMINAL FOR A YEAR-OLD TWEET BY @ESSEXPOLICEUK. I’D LIKE AN EXPLANATION FROM THE CHIEF CONSTABLE”
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