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Adam faces 'death threats' after Twitter row


By Alan Beresford

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A TWITTER row has left a local MSP worried for her and her family's safety after receiving "death threats".

Banffshire and Buchan MSP Karen Adam.
Banffshire and Buchan MSP Karen Adam.

Karen Adam, who represents Banffshire and Buchan Coast, said that she had been told to "go and kill" herself and that she would be "put through a wood chipper" after tweeting about paedophiles in the wake of the Ghislaine Maxwell conviction.

In her tweet, she said: "Paedophiles and predators are people.

"Not bogeymen under the table. Not Mac wearing flashers in the street, faceless and nameless.

"They are our family, friends and colleagues. They are not scary monsters. they are people who abuse. It's uncomfortable to humanise them because then we have to face the horrors in plain sight."

While Ms Adam, herself a survivor of sexual assault, later stated that her comments were an attempt to highlight that those who abuse often appear to be respectable members of the community, her tweet was interpreted by some as an attempt to humanise sexual offenders and predators.

One of those was Alba Party general secretary Chris McEleny, who tweeted that the SNP MSP's tweet was evidence that the party had been "captured by ideological zealots". She hit back saying it was "sick and twisted".

She later tweeted "Can't sleep. Not eaten" and that she feared for her and her family's safety as a result of the threats.

However, Mr McEleny went on to tweet: "I reject in the strongest possible manner anyone that has directed abhorrent threats at Ms Adam.

"I would urge her to report these to the police.

"I would plead with everyone that interacts about Scottish politics on Twitter to do so in a much nicer way.

"Ms Adam has subsequently clarified the point she was attempting to make in the initial tweet, which had been criticised by many online due to statements it made, and the message she is getting across with the added explanation is an important one that we should all listen to."

Ms Adam later commented: "To maybe have mistakenly retweeted and cropped my tweet with a defamatory comment is one thing, but after telling him how wrong his take was, and he still didn’t take the tweet down, resulting in more abuse...is just beyond contempt.

"I am pursuing legal advice. I have, of course, reported the threats to the police and the trail of what triggered it all. What has been extremely heartening has been the outpouring of love and support from many across the country, but particularly within the constituency.

"People have sent many supportive messages via email, DM on Twitter and Facebook messenger, even offering me safe houses within the constituency! These kind, decent and genuine people are not necessarily supporters of myself or the SNP, but they know injustice when they see it, and that is true humanity.

"Thank you everyone who has taken the time to offer support and who saw through the blatant act of harm."


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