When Justice Fails the Vulnerable

A video of a young Scottish girl brandishing both a knife and an axe went viral in late August. She allegedly tried to protect her sister from unwanted advances by an adult man according to the accompanying narrative - a true heroine.

A girl is heard shouting “don’t touch my sister” in the video.

Days later, police stated there was “no evidence” supporting the circulated claims and warned the public against spreading misinformation. According to authorities, it was instead the girls who had confronted a Bulgarian couple. The “Axe Girl” has since been charged with possession of dangerous weapons. Media has described the man as a “family man.”

A relative of the girl claims she tried protecting her sister from the man - supported by statements from a mother of one of the girl’s friends. This mother alleges the older sister required hospital treatment. A family member states the sister sustained a concussion. There’s no doubt about who feels threatened in the video - and it’s not the man.

A local councilor argues that since facts have been provided by police, these should be trusted over misinformation spread by “those who wish to vilify asylum seekers and immigrants”. Policing is built on trust, writes Police Scotland. However, a crowdfunding campaign allegedly started by the family has raised tens of thousands of pounds for the girl’s fight against the corrupt justice system.

The public must choose between police “facts” and a crowdfunded “myth.” An easy choice, one might think.

Yet for decades, thousands of British girls have suffered abuse in the so-called “grooming scandals,” primarily by men of non-European background. Across at least 50 towns, police and authorities chose to ignore these crimes. In some cases, officials knew about the abuse for over a decade without acting, fearing racism accusations. The routine sexual exploitation of white children became so widespread that Rotherham would “explode” if the truth emerged, according to an on-duty officer. Five different victims claim police officers also assaulted them. An independent investigation initiated this year - after government refusal to probe deeper - reveals sexual exploitation across 85 UK locations. Police Scotland’s 2016 investigation into Glasgow grooming gangs remained secret for years, per local newspapers .

The establishment’s secrecy and whitewashing of multicultural realities carries a cost - in human suffering, in the circulating false narratives, and of (rationally) eroded trust in public institutions. The question isn’t only about which narrative is the true one, but rather why a 12-year-old girl has come to see the adult world as dangerous.

When parents, teachers, and police cease being safe figures, who bears the blame? The girl who distrusts, or the system that failed to earn her trust?

Note: On September 4th. Police Scotland stated the man and woman have also been charged “following extensive investigations”.

Cover image: AI