The Labour MP Stella Creasy believes police have given online trolls “the green light to target the children of politicians” after she was subject to a baseless complaint to social services.
Creasy was investigated by her local council after it received a report from a troll who was trying to have her children taken away from her.
A man, who went by the alias Lance Jones, contacted Waltham Forest council in east London to complain that the MP’s “extreme views” would damage her children and they should be removed from her care, the Times reported. The Walthamstow MP has been a prominent campaigner on misogyny, violence against women, and her right to be allowed to bring her breastfeeding baby into parliament with her.
The perpetrator had no personal connection to Creasy or her two young children.
The council’s panel – which includes experts from agencies such as social services, police and local schools – carried out a safeguarding review in November. The complaint was quickly dismissed as vexatious, and the panel contacted Creasy out of concern that Jones may present a risk to her family.
Parliamentary police investigated, Creasy said, but when it was found the man lived in Leicestershire the case was passed to his local force.
The MP told the Guardian: “Leicestershire police, in their infinite wisdom, decided that this man was entitled – was the word they used – to raise concerns about my views.
“So they were very clear, because I’ve never seen the actual original complaint he made, it was entirely about my views and the risk to my children of me having what he considered to be extreme views and indeed what the police in Leicestershire said could be considered extreme views … ie being a feminist.
“The consequence of it is that my kids now have a social services record because of this man’s belief that if you disagree with somebody, the thing you do is threaten to get their kids taken away.”
When asked what she thought about the police response, the MP replied: “I think they’ve given the green light to targeting the children of politicians if you don’t agree with them.”
The council is not legally able to expunge the complaint about Creasy from its record, but the Times reported (subscription) that the file had been marked to make clear it was baseless.
When Jones was referred to police over harassment concerns he was found to have sent a series of emails about Creasy’s “man-hating agenda” to her office, as well as to other prominent women.
Leicestershire police, however, told Creasy her harasser was “legally entitled to express concerns to social care”.
They said Jones’s emails, while upsetting and distressing, contained “no direct verbal or physical threat”. A detective inspector had reviewed the case, but it did not meet the threshold for criminal charges, the force said.
Sgt Ryan Coleman was reported to have told Creasy that “although not worded in the best manner, it does appear to be a member of the public raising concerns about your views as an elected representative of the people”.
“The victim is entitled to a view and to express it, albeit accepted this was misguided and has caused upset,” he wrote. “You are in the public eye due to the nature of your role so should be expected to be challenged and expect your views to be taken positively and negatively.”
When police spoke to Jones, who has mental health issues, and ordered him to stop contacting Creasy, he was reportedly apologetic. He was given a community resolution involving an informal warning – which does not appear on a criminal record or the police national computer – rather than a criminal caution.
Creasy was told to block her harasser but said that was not possible because she does not know his real name.
The MP added she is concerned this incident could lead to similar vexatious harassment. She is also calling for malicious reports to social services to be treated as seriously as a false report to police, which involves the offence of wasting police time or perverting the course of justice.
She said: “I don’t want this to become the new thing that trolls do to try and push women out of public life, which is why I’m speaking out and saying no, I’m not accepting the police rationale on this.”
She added: “In a case like this, which is so clear cut, it’s not that anybody could have been under any illusion that he had a point, except a police officer in Leicestershire who seemed to agree with him that I was an extremist.”
A Leicestershire police spokesperson said the force had “carried out a full investigation into a number of emails which have been sent by a person to an MP. The content of some of the emails sent has understandably caused upset and distress to the MP concerned. No direct verbal or physical threat was found to have been made in the emails.
“A statement was obtained from the victim, and officers spoke with the sender of the emails in January this year who admitted he was responsible. The consequences of his actions were explained and the man apologised for his actions.
“Following a full review of the evidence obtained, it was determined that the circumstances did not meet the threshold of a harassment offence and that the proportionate outcome was to issue the man with a community resolution. This included the conditions that no further contact should be made by the man with the victim.
“Leicestershire police takes any report of harassment extremely seriously and will carry out a full investigation into the report and take the appropriate action. The force remains fully committed to keeping women and girls safe, listening to concerns and tackling violence.”
A Waltham Forest council spokesperson said: “All safeguarding allegations are dealt with in line with the national legislation. We have a duty to treat each case seriously and ensure the statutory process is followed.”
