Police in Scotland have been accused of picking on JK Rowling in a "deeply concerning" youth engagement training session where they allegedly created a parody of the author which suggested she thought trans people "belong in the gas chambers".
Attendees at a Police Scotland-backed hate crime event in February were given a fictional "scenario" to respond to where "Jo", described as a gender-critical campaigner with a large social media presence, displays several of her beliefs about whether people can change sex.
The event - supported by Police Scotland and organised by the Scottish LGBTI Police Association and the Time for Inclusive Education campaign group (TIE) - was part of an official Police Scotland LGBT history month programme, in which young people were invited to give their feedback to police on what constitutes a hate crime.
The youths were given the profile of "Jo", who "travels around university campuses" in order to "debate her beliefs about the LGBTI community", and “often gets very passionate about her beliefs and will say things like 'there are only two genders' [and] 'too many attention-seeking wannabes'".
Rowling, whose Christian name is Jo, was allegedly parodied in the Police Scotland hate crime training sessionPAThe fictional character, event-goers were told, was an "online influencer" with a "very active" presence and "large following" on TikTok and Instagram - Rowling is also active on social media, with over 14 million followers on X.
The scenario concluded by asking: "Jo posted her most recent video with the caption 'they all belong in the gas chambers'... what action do you think the police should take?"
Invitees then discussed whether "Jo" had committed a hate crime, and feedback was passed on to "decision-makers within Police Scotland".
Elsewhere in the event, the Telegraph reported, concerns over 'male-bodied people' accessing women's facilities were slammed as "completely ludicrous".
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Women's groups accused Police Scotland of having taken "no due diligence" on the material
GETTYAttendees also heard how the SNP plans to ban conversion therapy was akin to the decriminalisation of homosexuality and was part of work to "achieve equal rights for all".
Women's groups have claimed the invention was a "misleading and puerile" parody of Rowling - whose Christian name is Joanne and is known as Jo by her friends.
They have accused Police Scotland of having taken "no due diligence" on the material, which they said suggested a "crossover between gender critical views and Nazism".
Kath Murray, from the Murray Blackburn Mackenzie policy analysis group, said the materials in the session highlighted "existing concerns about the undue influence of activist groups within Police Scotland".
Murray said: "Material jointly presented by the LGBT Staff Association and TIE is, at points, misleading and puerile... It suggests a cross-over between gender critical views and Nazism, which it attributes to a character named 'Jo'.
"Other material promotes controversial medical practices. At the same time, Police Scotland expects officers to weigh up what a reasonable person thinks 'abusive' in the context of transgender identity... That it appears blind to this clear conflict, and appears to have taken no due diligence on these materials is troubling."
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Police Scotland marked LGBT+ history month by sharing content on our internal channels and hosting online events to recognise the contribution LGBT+ people have made to society, and the many challenges they have faced.
"These events were not mandatory for officers and staff and are not part of Police Scotland’s training.
"Separately, our training package for the implementation of the hate crime legislation has been developed in close consultation with stakeholders, and is based on the Scottish Government’s explanatory notes, to ensure officers are best prepared when they respond to hate crimes and incidents.
"Our training for the new Act reminds officers of their human rights obligations and it reflects all aspects of the new legislation, including the protection it includes around freedom of expression."
Scotland will be enforcing a set of new controversial hate crime laws from April 1.
