Colin C. Cortbus's article, Scottish Police Worry More About 'Misinformation' Than Child Prostitution (September 7, 2025), exposes a disturbing trend in Scotland: a police force and media ecosystem seemingly more preoccupied with suppressing "misinformation" than addressing heinous crimes like child sexual exploitation. The case of "Scottish Lassie," a young girl arrested for wielding a knife in self-defence while authorities initially ignored her alleged attacker, and Tom Magill's futile attempt to report a child prostitution incident in Dundee, highlight a skewed prioritisation of narrative control over public safety. Cortbus argues that Scotland's censorious Contempt of Court laws and media self-censorship exacerbate this, stifling transparency. This essay expands on Cortbus's critique (see link below), framing the "woke" censorship mania as a broader psycho-disease afflicting Western societies, where ideological conformity suppresses truth, undermines justice, and erodes civilisational trust, with examples from the UK, US, and beyond.
Cortbus details how Police Scotland swiftly arrested a young girl, "Scottish Lassie," for possessing a knife in a viral video showing her defending her sister, while initially ignoring her alleged assailants. Only after global outcry, amplified by figures like Elon Musk, did police charge two unnamed adults with unspecified offenses, refusing to disclose identities or charges despite no legal prohibition. This opacity, Cortbus argues, reflects a focus on controlling "misinformation" over addressing crime. Similarly, Tom Magill's report of a 15-year-old girl propositioning him for prostitution met with police indifference, two and a half hours of waiting, no follow-up, and dismissal of his evidence,suggesting a lack of urgency for child exploitation compared to policing online speech.
Scotland's Contempt of Court laws, which restrict media reporting on criminal cases, fuel this issue. Dundee's The Courier declined to publish Scottish Lassie's full video or her mother's interview, citing legal risks, despite millions viewing the footage globally. Prominent bloggers have faced jail for frank trial coverage, illustrating a chilling effect. This self-censorship, Cortbus notes, stems from national media's compliance, creating a "civilisational void," where docility trumps accountability.
This phenomenon isn't confined to Scotland, but reflects a broader "psycho-disease" of woke censorship across the West, where ideological purity, often under the guise of combating "hate speech" or "misinformation," overrides truth and justice. In the UK, the Online Safety Act (2023), fully implemented by 2025, mandates platforms to remove "harmful" content, leading to age verification and content moderation that critics like the Electronic Frontier Foundation argue fosters mass surveillance and stifles free speech. X posts highlight public backlash, with VPN apps surging in the UK as users resist this "censorship regime."
In the US, similar trends emerge. The Biden administration's 2021 pressure on social media to censor COVID-19 "misinformation" was later deemed a First Amendment violation in Murthy v. Missouri (2024). Yet, progressive-led initiatives continue, with California's 2025 laws targeting "deepfakes" and "harmful" content, criticised by civil libertarians for vague enforcement. X users decry this as "woke authoritarianism," noting that platforms like X face pressure to suppress conservative voices while amplifying progressive narratives.
Canada's Bill C-63 (2024) exemplifies this further, proposing fines for "hate speech" that could pre-emptively censor speech deemed offensive, chilling public discourse. European laws like the EU's Digital Services Act (2022) impose similar content moderation, with fines threatening platforms that don't comply. These policies, while framed as protecting society, often adopt ideological conformity, echoing Cortbus's critique of Scotland's focus on "misinformation" over child safety.
This censorship mania acts as a psycho-disease, eroding trust and rational discourse. Psychologically, it fosters a culture of fear; fear of speaking out, as seen in Scotland's jailed bloggers or US academics self-censoring on controversial topics. A 2023 Cato Institute survey found 34% of Americans avoid discussing politics due to fear of social repercussions, a trend amplified by "woke" cancel culture. Culturally, it creates a void where truth is secondary to narrative. In Scotland, the refusal to name suspects or detail charges fuels speculation, as Cortbus notes, undermining public confidence in institutions.
Globally, this contrasts with braver journalistic traditions. Cortbus cites Mongolia's Unurtsetseg Naran, who risks jail for exposing corruption, while Western media often self-censor to avoid legal or social backlash. In the US, outlets like The New York Times have faced criticism for downplaying stories like the 2025 Charlotte train stabbing to avoid fuelling conservative narratives, mirroring Scotland's media reticence.
The roots of this disease lie in "woke" ideology, which functions as a secular religion demanding orthodoxy. Drawing from Marxist critiques of power, it rebrands dissent as "harm" or "misinformation," justifying censorship. In Scotland, police and media adopt narrative control to maintain "social cohesion," as seen in their response to Musk's posts. Across the West, this manifests in policies targeting "hate speech" or "disinformation," often selectively enforced against views challenging progressive dogmas, like gender ideology or immigration policies.
This selective enforcement reveals hypocrisy. For instance, while Scottish police downplay child exploitation, they swiftly address "misgendering" complaints under hate crime laws, as noted in a 2024 BBC report. In the US, progressive-led school boards have censored parents questioning gender curricula, while defending controversial materials as "inclusive." X posts frequently highlight this double standard, with users asking why "woke" policies protect certain groups but ignore victims like Scottish Lassie.
To cure this psycho-disease, Western societies must accept truth over ideology. First, legal reforms are needed. Repealing or clarifying vague laws like Scotland's Contempt of Court or the UK's Online Safety Act, could reduce self-censorship. In the US, strengthening First Amendment protections against government-driven content moderation is crucial. Australia needs all that and more, being in a terrible state under the Albo globalist regime. Second, media must reclaim its role as truth-seekers, not narrative gatekeepers. Independent platforms like X, despite flaws, offer a model where raw information circulates, as seen in the viral spread of Scottish Lassie's video.
Finally, citizens must resist ideological conformity. Conservative Christians, as other blog posts here today state, can lead by grounding resistance in moral absolutes, rejecting "woke" dogma. Secular voices, too, must demand transparency, as Magill did in Dundee. Only by confronting this censorship mania head-on can the West restore trust and protect its most vulnerable.
In conclusion, the woke censorship mania, exemplified by Scotland's misprioritisation of misinformation over child prostitution, is a psycho-disease infecting Western institutions. From Scotland's opaque policing to the US's content moderation and Canada and Australia's speech laws, this ideology sacrifices truth for conformity, eroding justice and trust. As Cortbus warns, the West risks a "civilisational void" where docility overshadows accountability. By reforming laws, revitalising independent media, and resisting ideological orthodoxy, societies can reclaim the pursuit of truth, ensuring that protecting children, not narratives, is the priority.