Summarised by Centrist
Microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles says she continues to face threats and harassment, years after the COVID pandemic, despite no longer engaging in science communication.
In a LinkedIn post, Wiles defends her crowdfunding campaign to raise more than $400,000 she claims were spent on legal costs following a successful case against her employer for failing to protect her from the abuse.
Wiles said she has received “lovely messages” from supporters, with more than $125,000 pledged in four days, but that the hate has not stopped. “People still want me and others prosecuted and jailed. Some still want us dead,” she wrote. “What if this online hatred turns to physical violence?”
She posted a collage of abusive social media comments, calling her a “liar,” a “witch,” a “fat pink-haired freak show,” and worse.
One message accused her of lying about COVID and “gaslighting good people bravely standing up and telling the truth.” Others used sexual or personal insults, including “fat pink-haired lying witch” and “you’re a joke, hopefully we get COVID tribunals soon.”
Wiles said the abuse has discouraged her from public work and may deter other women, minorities, and vulnerable groups from entering public life. “Ignoring online abuse and threats isn’t the solution,” she wrote, calling for stronger laws to hold social media platforms accountable.
Editor’s note: Wiles acknowledges that most of the abuse she receives is verbal, not violent, warning instead that online hatred could turn to physical violence. The comments she shared are clearly abusive and demeaning, and none of this excuses the people who sent them. However, her use of the word “threats” appears to refer mainly to calls for her prosecution or imprisonment rather than to any promises of physical harm. That distinction matters. The posts reflect harassment and hostility, not incitement or violence. Recognising the difference does not downplay the abuse but ensures accuracy about its nature and legal implications. Since her crowdfunding appeal rests on claims of “threats” and “legal costs,” clarifying what kind of threats she faces is directly relevant to how the public interprets her appeal in the context of her fundraising.
