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The University of Aberdeen is reviewing social media comments made by one of its employees about the death of Ann Widdecombe, according to a statement from the institution. Heather Herbert, believed to be a web developer at the university and a trans activist who stood for the Labour Party in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election and for the Greens in a 2022 council by-election, posted that the news was good and expressed hope for an extremely painful death. The comments were made before Widdecombe’s death was treated as an alleged murder, the BBC reported.
University officials stated that the posts are the individual’s own views and do not represent the institution. Principal Prof Peter Edwards said Widdecombe was highly respected and that the university does not tolerate violence or hateful behaviour. The university is treating the matter as a priority and handles complaints confidentially, a spokesperson added.
According to Police Scotland, reports about the post were assessed and no criminality was established. The force confirmed it received the reports following the comments. BBC Scotland News attempted to contact Herbert for comment but received no response.
Ann Widdecombe served as a Conservative MP for Maidstone for 23 years and held ministerial roles in John Major’s government from 1994 to 1997, according to biographical records. She left the Commons in 2010, appeared on television shows including Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Big Brother, and later joined the Brexit Party in 2019 to serve as an MEP until 2020. The 78-year-old was found dead at her home in Haytor, Devon, on Thursday with serious injuries, prompting a murder investigation, according to Devon and Cornwall Police.
Counterterrorism police took over the investigation on July 13 after new information emerged, the New York Times reported. A 28-year-old man from Rotherham was rearrested on suspicion of terrorism-related offenses, a development police described as a targeted attack. The university’s social media policy requires staff to maintain professional standards online equivalent to those in person and prohibits abusive or discriminatory content, according to the institution’s guidelines.
