Featured Image Credit: YouTube/@keffals
Topics: Canada, World News, Twitch
Claire Reid
A Twitch streamer had said she was awoken by armed police pointing a gun at her in her home following a ‘swatting’ hate campaign against her.
Clara Sorrenti, who goes by Keffals on the platform, said she was swatted and arrested for a crime she didn’t commit after online trolls impersonated her and sent abusive and threatening emails to local politicians.
Swatting is the name given to online trolls calling in a false report, usually of extreme violence, on someone to prompt a large response from cops. In the past, swatting has been fatal.
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In a YouTube video Sorrenti, who is trans, said she awoke on 5 August to find ‘an assault rifle’ pointed at her, and claims she had her devices seized and was misgendered by police.
Sorrenti, who lives in London in Ontario, Canada, says she was held in police custody for around 11 hours before the matter was cleared up.
Speaking to NBC, she said the whole incident left her in fear for her life.
She said: “Swatting incidents have ended with people dying before, and what happened to me was a particularly egregious case of swatting. There’s this added layer where I had my identity stolen.”
She went on to say that threats against her have escalated in recent months. In the video shared on YouTube, Sorrenti said she and her family had previously reached out to law enforcement over the ongoing abuse she was receiving online.
“Especially in the United States, transgender people are at the focal point of a culture war,” Sorrenti said.
“I expected things to get more dangerous for me, but I could have never expected what happened that day.”
Police Chief Steve Williams has since issued a statement addressing the misgendering of Sorrenti.
In a statement posted on the police department’s website, he said: “It has come to my attention that Ms. Sorrenti was referred to during her time in London police custody by an incorrect name and gender.
“We acknowledge the distress this has caused Ms. Sorrenti and we will be reviewing the occurrence to understand how that might have happened. At this time, we are still in the process of gathering the information necessary for this review.”
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence contact Mindline Trans+ on 0300 330 5468. The line is open 8pm–midnight Mondays and Fridays and is run by trans volunteers