Northern Ireland: Threats of Sexual Violence Against Patricia Devlin’s Newborn not Prosecuted, Devlin to Continue Legal Action Against Police

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is disappointed with the prosecutor’s decision not to proceed and supports Devlin in her legal action against the PSNI

Location: Northern Ireland, Belfast
Date: September 5, 2023

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is alarmed at the continued failure to charge and prosecute those responsible for threatening award-winning crime reporter Patricia Devlin. In 2021, the journalist received a threat of sexual violence against her young child on social media and has been seeking justice ever since. We stand in full solidarity with Devlin as she proceeds with her civil lawsuit against the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) for their alleged failure to investigate the matter adequately.

On September 5, 2023, Patricia Devlin announced that, after a review, the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) decided to not prosecute a man suspected of making a rape threat against her 3-month-old son in 2021.

Expressing her disappointment, Devlin says, "I feel completely let down by the police and the system," upon learning of the PPS's decision to uphold the March 2023 choice not to prosecute.

Devlin emphasized that her pursuit of justice is driven by her concerns for the safety of her family and others, as she believes the suspect remains a potential danger.

The PPS justified its decision not to prosecute because there was "no reasonable prospect" of proving in court that the suspect sent the threatening message. 

Devlin says the PPS's letter, for the first time, confirmed in writing that the suspect was initially identified through intelligence, contrary to her previous belief that telephone records had played a role in his identification. The PPS acknowledged the message sent via social media was "offensive, obscene, and menacing." It was signed in the name of the neo-Nazi group Combat 18 and sent to Devlin's Facebook account.

While officers connected the suspect's number to the threat through intelligence, this evidence was deemed inadmissible and of limited value for prosecution.

Devlin expressed her disillusionment, stating she had been led to believe for an extended period that the person responsible "would be held to account," only to discover that this was not the case. She argues that such outcomes could erode confidence in reporting similar crimes.

Devlin attributes the fault to the initial police investigation and continues to pursue legal action against the PSNI. In September 2021, the Police Ombudsman, Marie Anderson, concluded that the PSNI had failed to investigate the online threat properly.

The PPS's decision not to prosecute the suspect contrasts with the conclusion reached by the Police Ombudsman, who described the threat against Devlin as "repulsive." 

CFWIJ has documented the persistent harassment and threats that Devlin has faced since 2019. In October 2020, she received a death threat from the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), a loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland, on her social media.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is concerned over the police's failure to take prompt action to apprehend the suspect who threatened Devlin and believes they missed opportunities during the investigation. The lack of action taken by police in this case is incredibly disappointing. It does not encourage women journalists in Northern Ireland to speak out when they are subjected to threats and harassment. The PSNI must do better.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

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