The head of the Covid Inquiry yesterday condemned the thugs and trolls who abused leading scientists during the pandemic.
Heather Hallett spoke out after England’s chief medical officer warned that the threats and intimidation risked dissuading experts from helping in a future crisis.
Chris Whitty was speaking from experience because a Covid obsessive forced him into a headlock in a park in June 2021.
Lady Hallett said at the conclusion of his evidence yesterday: ‘It’s wrong for so many reasons, but I do know how distressing it can be so I hope that people will think twice – but of course they never do, do they? – before committing themselves to distressing acts unnecessarily.
‘There are so many different ways to express different opinions, why do we have to have personal abuse?’
Sir Chris did not reference being accosted or abused when asked to comment on potential problems relating to experts making themselves available to assist in the pandemic.
But he told the hearing in London that the level of abuse and threat to volunteers was ‘extremely concerning’. He added: ‘We should be very firm in saying that society very much appreciates the work of these people who put in enormous amounts of time. Usually at no recompense.’
Hugo Keith KC, lead lawyer for the inquiry, asked Sir Chris what could be done to stop the ‘disgraceful behaviour’. Sir Chris replied: ‘The main thing is to make sure the people who do this appreciate and understand that their work is very thoroughly appreciated by the great majority of the population, which I think it is.’
