A Fife ‘vigilante’ group has been forced to apologise after it launched an ‘anti-predator’ protest outside the home of an innocent woman.
Fife Parents Against Predators, set up in 2020, regularly shares ‘alerts’ about convicted paedophiles and others accused of crimes against children and young people.
The group has also organised protests at the homes of people who have been convicted.
But one such protest in Glenrothes went wrong after the group targeted the home of an innocent woman.
An apology, which was first deleted then later reposted, said the group had received “incorrect information” and had got the wrong address.
The incident caused some locals to question the group’s methods.
‘Mud sticks’
One local said: “I don’t want to bash them but they obviously don’t know what they are doing.
“You can’t just go around saying people are guilty of something like that without knowing the proper facts.”
Another said they had previously supported the group but added: “Imagine being accused of something like that and being innocent.
“Mud sticks.”
The group had shared a video showing the woman’s home and one local said people may have seen that and not seen the apology admitting they got it wrong.
“It should be left up to the professionals,” they said.
“The consequences of what they have done could be tragic.”
At the protest in the Collydean area of Glenrothes, an object was thrown at the person’s house, but Fife Parents Against Predators insisted this was nothing to do with them.
Harassment
The group’s apology said: “The object that was thrown and the harassment that was given was the residents of the community, nobody from our team took part in this.
“This will not be tolerated by us in anyway.
“Unfortunately we cannot be responsible for the action of the residents, as a team at the start of a protest we ask all in attendance to be respectful to the neighbourhood.”
Police Scotland encouraged people not to take the law into their own hands.
Detective Superintendent Martin MacLean, Head of the National Child Abuse Investigation Unit (NCAIU), said: “Child protection is a priority for Police Scotland and we will thoroughly investigate child abuse in all its forms, including online offending.
“Police Scotland will always respond when information is received that a child or young person maybe at risk of harm with a focus on identifying and mitigating any risk posed.
Revealing the identity of suspected offenders can jeopardise the safety of individuals, their families and the wider public
“It is understandable that people want to protect children from harm but we would ask them not to take the law into their own hands.
“Revealing the identity of suspected offenders can jeopardise the safety of individuals, their families and the wider public.
“We want to reassure communities that Police Scotland is fully committed to the investigation of child abuse, using our resources locally and nationally to protect Scotland’s children.
“If you suspect someone may be abusing children online or offline then please contact the Police on 999 if you think there is immediate risk of harm, or 101.”
‘Hang our heads in shame’
In an apology on their Facebook page, the group said the team “hang their heads in shame”.
They said: “All of us here at team [Fife Parents Against Predators] hang our heads in shame and are truly truly sorry for the events of last night, this will NOT happen again and we hope our followers can still stand behind us[sic].”
The group also said they do not encourage or condone “harassment” and asked people to stay away from the property.
“But please can I ask everyone doesn’t forgot [sic] the good we have done in the past and the successful outcomes we have had,” it added.
‘Fife Parents Against Predators’ did not respond to a request for comment.
Similar incidents last year saw police forced to call for calm.
The unprecedented call for calm came after a number of vigilante-style protests throughout July.