Heather Herbert, a University of Aberdeen staff member, has sparked controversy with her comments about the death of former politician Ann Widdecombe. Herbert's posts on social media expressed a lack of sadness over Widdecombe's death, citing her own past experiences with online harassment.
Herbert stated that the manner of Widdecombe's death changed how she felt about her, but she did not express remorse for not being sad about the event. She also drew attention to Widdecombe's 2019 speech at the Oxford Union, in which she argued that people should be able to live with the risk of being offended or insulted.
Herbert also criticized the University of Aberdeen's handling of the situation, pointing out that she had received many death threats after her initial post went viral. She suggested that the threats were ironic, given that others had previously called her a "snowflake" for being upset by online harassment.
The University of Aberdeen has launched an investigation into Herbert's comments and released a statement saying that the views do not represent those of the institution. The university also stated that complaints into any member of staff are handled confidentially.
Aberdeen University rector Iona Fyfe emphasized that staff behavior is not under her jurisdiction and that complaints should be handled through established processes. The police investigation into Widdecombe's death is ongoing, with a 28-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder.
A statement from the police said that they are keeping an open mind as to the motive, but have said it does not appear to be politically motivated. The investigation is currently ongoing, and the police have asked people not to fuel "distressing" online speculation about the case.
