Police Scotland has been accused of not fully investigating a hate crime complaint against an SNP minister's father.
On Monday, Scottish Government public finance minister Tom Arthur condemned his dad, also called Tom Arthur, for sharing an anti-Semitic image on Facebook.
The post, which depicts a Nazi swastika within a Star of David, is captioned “Nazism = Zionism”.
Police Scotland say this vile antisemitic image is NOT a hate crime under Humza Yousaf’s new law because the complainer is not Jewish.
— Russell Findlay (@RussellFindlay1) April 8, 2024
Allegedly posted by an SNP minister’s relative, police must think again.
Today’s Scottish Daily Mail 👇 pic.twitter.com/UFnt94aaN3
It was shared on April 1, the day the new Hate Crime and Public Order Act took effect.
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However, an ex-police officer who reported it claims she was told her complaint would not be taken further by the force as she was not Jewish.
The woman told the Daily Mail that she first complained on Thursday before giving a statement on Saturday.
However, within an hour of speaking to officers, she was told it would be logged but not investigated.
She told the paper: “They were very much for not taking the complaint at all. One said, ‘We're snowed under with all these complaints. How are we supposed to get through all these?’
“I said, ‘That's not my problem. The First Minister has said he wants people to report these things; he's very keen for everything to be reported.”
The woman, who was not named, said an officer called her later that afternoon and asked if she identified as being Jewish.
When she said no, he told her that it “falls outwith the parameters” and “won't be moving forward as a crime.”
The woman added: “I’m not a political activist, but I do hate antisemitism.
“This mentality existed before, but it has been enabled and allowed to fester in the last six months.
“We need to nip this behaviour in the bud. It’s like going back almost 100 years to central Europe. It’s being allowed and nobody’s standing up. I am offended, and I’m not Jewish.”
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The Campaign Against Antisemitism said the police’s apparent failure to investigate the post was “inexplicable.”
A spokesperson said: “What has the ethnic or religious identity of a complainant to do with the content and potential impact of a racist social media post under Scottish criminal law?
“The police are right that this post relates to Jewish people, as the overwhelming majority of British Jews identify as Zionists, according to our polling.
"But the police are plainly wrong to imagine that the identity of the person who reported the post should be relevant.
“The complainant – a former police officer who clearly retains her strong sense of right and wrong – did the right thing by reporting this antisemitic and potentially criminal post.
"The police, and potentially the SNP, have questions to answer.”
Police Scotland said it was unable to comment on the woman's claim.
A spokesperson told the paper: “We received a report of offensive content online, which is being investigated. Inquiries are ongoing.”
An SNP spokesperson said: "The SNP stands firmly against anti-semitism.
"The social media post is unacceptable and would have been subject to disciplinary investigation had the individual concerned not resigned their party membership with immediate effect."
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Taking to X, Mr Arthur said: “As an SNP MSP, I stand against discrimination of any kind. The online post shared by a family member falls far short of that position and I condemn the views expressed.
“Six months on from Hamas's barbaric terrorist attack which claimed the lives of more than 1000 innocent civilians, I will continue to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages and for a permanent two state solution to pave the way towards peace in the region.”
As an SNP MSP, I stand against discrimination of any kind. The online post shared by a family member falls far short of that position and I condemn the views expressed.
— Tom Arthur (@ThomasCArthur) April 8, 2024
It is understood Mr Arthur senior has resigned from the party.
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