Scotland's First Minister, John Swinney, has apologised to a young girl from Dundee who gained widespread attention after a video showed her brandishing a knife and axe. The apology comes after a Bulgarian man, Vencislav Belov, was convicted of assaulting her during the incident, which occurred last year.
At the time the video went viral, Mr Swinney had cautioned against 'misinformation' surrounding the event and criticised figures, including billionaire Elon Musk, for their commentary. Musk had notably shared a post about the incident on X, suggesting the girl was 'trying to defend herself' and criticising her arrest. However, during First Minister's Questions, Reform UK leader in Scotland Malcolm Offord pressed Mr Swinney for an apology, stating the girl's mother had demanded one from both the police and the First Minister for her daughter being 'branded as a liar, right-wing and a racist'.
Mr Swinney responded, saying, 'I of course apologise to the young woman and her family concerned.' He clarified that his initial comments were based on the information available to him at the time, which was provided by Police Scotland. The police force has since acknowledged that their initial statement 'did not fully reflect the situation', having initially indicated that only the girl had been arrested or was wanted in connection with the incident.
The court heard that Belov, 23, had made sexual remarks to a group of girls, aged between 12 and 14, before grabbing and pushing one of them to the ground. His sister, Nadjedzha Belova, 20, also admitted to assaulting a 13-year-old girl by seizing and pulling her hair, dragging her to the ground, and striking her head. The girl's evidence in Belov's trial at Dundee Sheriff Court was described as 'eloquent' by Sheriff Tim Niven-Smith.
Despite the apology, Mr Swinney maintained his stance against Elon Musk, stating he would 'make no apology for taking on Elon Musk' and that he did not believe the X owner was 'an actor in good faith on these questions'. The video, filmed by Belov, garnered significant attention online, with comments from various public figures including Musk and far-right activist Tommy Robinson.
Belov and his sister are scheduled to be sentenced at Dundee Sheriff Court on 5 August for their respective roles in the incident.
Source: Scottish Parliament, Police Scotland