A MOTHER was arrested in front of her young children and locked in a cell for seven hours for allegedly abusing a trans woman online.

Kate Scottow, 38, was detained at her home in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, after she referred to Stephanie Hayden as a man in a "campaign of targeted harassment" on Twitter.

1 Stephanie Hayden took out a court injunction against Kate Scottow after the mum-of-two allegedly harassed her online Credit: @flyinglawyer73/Twitter

A court found that Mrs Scottow used two different accounts, under different names, to unleash abuse against Miss Hayden.

The mum-of-two is also accused of “deadnaming” the activist – a term which refers to the practice of calling a trans person by their old name.

She has been given a court injunction which prevents her from calling Hayden a man or referring to her “former male identity.”

High court papers, obtained by the Mail on Sunday, state that Mrs Scottow’s actions were allegedly motivated by Miss Hayden’s “status as a transgender woman.”

The 38-year-old was quizzed at a police station and had her DNA and fingerprints taken.

She remains under investigation following her arrest on December 1.

The mum claims that police have not returned her laptop and mobile phone which she says has disrupted her studies for a Masters in forensic psychology.

Mrs Scottow described being arrested at her home in front of her two young children on online forum Mumsnet.

A campaign of targeted harassment

She wrote: “I was arrested in my home by three officers, with my autistic ten-year-old daughter and breastfed 20-month-old son present.

“I was then detained for seven hours in a cell with no sanitary products (which I said I needed) before being interviewed then later released under investigation ...

“I was arrested for harassment and malicious communications because I called someone out and misgendered them on Twitter.”

Mrs Scottow was arrested after Miss Hayden, who is a lawyer, complained to cops about her Twitter posts.

Hertfordshire Police said: “We take all reports of malicious communication seriously.”

The court papers claims that Mrs Scottow tweeted “defamatory” posts about the trans woman during a “toxic” debate about people who self-identify as another gender.

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Aside from referring to Miss Hayden as a male, the mum-of-two also called her “racist, xenophobic and a crook” while also branding her a “fake lawyer.”

Mrs Scottow said she has a “genuine and reasonable belief” that a person “cannot practically speaking change sex”.

She denied harassing or defaming Miss Hayden.

Deputy Judge Jason Coppel QC issued the interim injunction banning her from posting personal information about the activist and lawyer.

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