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Where relevant, we publish our responses to Freedom of Information requests under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA).

This response addressed the following query:

• “Please supply a full statistical count and full disclosure of all criminal complaints raised by any person or organisation against  PIRC or Police Scotland personnel alleging anti-Catholic sectarianism along with the outcome of each complaint as found by a Scottish court of criminal law.
  Anti - Catholic Sectarianism is to include  any anti - catholic hate incident, any anti - catholic act of prejudice and any anti - catholic hate crime.
• I would request also any and all complaints with outcomes concerning incidences of PIRC or Police closing down Catholic prayer assemblies,  Catholic Masses (including the seizure of the Holy Eucharist) , or the closing down of any Catholic Churches during lock-down in pursuant to COVID or other legislation.
• Please also state how many complaints and the out come of any complaints, concerning anti-Catholic sectarian motivated arrests, charges and imprisonments that where received.
  Between 10/3/2020 - 10/3/2023.”

I have responded to each part of your request below.

• “Please supply a full statistical count and full disclosure of all criminal complaints raised by any person or organisation against PIRC personnel alleging anti-Catholic sectarianism along with the outcome of each complaint as found by a Scottish court of criminal law.”

I can confirm there have been no complaints raised against PIRC personnel alleging anti-Catholic sectarianism.

If you intended this part of your request to mean criminal allegations against PIRC personnel, then I can confirm there have been no allegations received.

• “Please supply a full statistical count and full disclosure of all criminal complaints raised by any person or organisation against Police Scotland personnel alleging anti-Catholic sectarianism along with the outcome of each complaint as found by a Scottish court of criminal law.”

Under Section 17 of FOISA, I can confirm we do not hold this information. The PIRC are a separate organisation from Police Scotland and we do not have access to their records. We only have details of complaints against the police that have subsequently been brought to the PIRC by members of the public. Of these, there are none within the scope of your request.

If you intended this part of your request to mean criminal allegations against Police Scotland personnel as referred to the PIRC from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), then I can confirm there have been no allegations received.

• “any and all complaints with outcomes concerning incidences of PIRC closing down Catholic prayer assemblies, Catholic Masses (including the seizure of the Holy Eucharist) , or the closing down of any Catholic Churches during lock-down in pursuant to COVID or other legislation.”

We have received no complaints concerning incidences of the PIRC closing down Catholic prayer assemblies, Catholic Masses, or the closing down of any Catholic Churches during lock-down in pursuant to COVID or other legislation. The PIRC has no remit to carry out any of these actions listed.

• “any and all complaints with outcomes concerning incidences of Police closing down Catholic prayer assemblies, Catholic Masses (including the seizure of the Holy Eucharist) , or the closing down of any Catholic Churches during lock-down in pursuant to COVID or other legislation.”

As above, we do not have access to Police Scotland records so only have details of complaints that have subsequently been referred to ourselves.

• “Please also state how many complaints and the out come of any complaints, concerning anti-Catholic sectarian motivated arrests, charges and imprisonments that where received.”

I can confirm there have been no complaints within the scope of this part of your request received to the PIRC.