Police Scotland has received more than 3,000 hate crime reports since a new law was introduced on Monday, the BBC understands.
It creates a new crime of “stirring up hatred” over protected characteristics.
A large number were about a 2020 speech by First Minister Humza Yousaf – then justice secretary – highlighting white people in prominent public roles.
Community Safety Minister Siobhian Brown said people were making “fake and vexatious complaints”.
Police Scotland said complaints about Mr Yousaf’s speech were assessed at the time, with no crime committed and no action taken. The new law will not apply retrospectively.
www.yahoo.com/news/more-3-000-hate-crime-100240090.html
A Scottish Government minister has refused to say if comments by Harry Potter author JK Rowling could have been recorded by police as a non-crime hate incident.
Community safety minister Siobhian Brown said it is an operational matter for Police Scotland – who have been enforcing new legislation aimed at tackling hate crime which came into force north of the border this week.
A non-crime hate incident is recorded when an incident does not meet the threshold for a crime but is perceived to be “motivated (wholly or partly) by malice and ill-will towards a social group”, according to Police Scotland guidance.
Amid reports that more than 3,000 complaints have been received so far under the new legislation, the minister also revealed a false complaint had been made in her name.
Ms Brown said she had been “surprised” to receive a call from Police Scotland about a complaint she was said to have made on Monday, the day the legislation came into force.
uk.news.yahoo.com/minister-refuses-whether-jk-rowling-085102968.html
Scotland Police say JK Rowling did not commit a hate crime.
uk.news.yahoo.com/tory-demands-police-apology-police-171336617.html