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Intimidation and bullying of PACE trial critics
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===<div id="deaththreats">Allegations of death threats and smear campaigns</div>=== {{Shortcut|Death threats}} From at least 2011, patients critical of the PACE trial and the [[biopsychosocial model]] of ME/CFS have been publicly accused of making death threats against researchers numerous times in both the [[United Kingdom]] and the [[United States]].<ref name="Nodeaththreat20120406" /><ref name="Guardian20110821" /><ref name="TymesTrust2014bts" /><ref name="FOI20150318" /><ref name="SMCUK201110TOP">{{Cite web | last1 = Science Media Centre | authorlink1 = Science Media Centre | last2 = Crawley | first2 = Esther | authorlink2 = Esther Crawley| title = Threats of Persecution | publisher= Science Media Centre | issue = SMC anniversary brochure| page=16 | date = Oct 2011| url= http://www.sciencemediacentre.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/SMC-Anniversary-Brochure.pdf | archive-url = http://web.archive.org/web/20140807031737/http://www.sciencemediacentre.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/SMC-Anniversary-Brochure.pdf | archive-date = Aug 7, 2014}}</ref><ref name="Lewandowsky20160204" /><ref name=":13" /><ref name="SunTimesUK20130505" /><ref name="Telegraph20120928" /> ====National Institutes of Health ==== In the UK, British researcher Professor [[Myra McClure]] informed the [[National Institutes of Health]] (NIH) that she had received a disturbing phone call: a journalist informed her that ME/CFS patients were planning an armed protest at NIH and CDC. This phone call was never investigated or reported to the police, and an armed protest never materialized.<ref name="Nodeaththreat20120406" /> In another article, McClure reported, "One man wrote he was having pleasure imagining that he was watching me drown. He sent that every day for months.”<ref name=":13">{{Cite web | url = http://www.theguardian.com/society/2011/aug/21/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-myalgic-encephalomyelitis | title = Chronic fatigue syndrome researchers face death threats from militants | date = 2011-08-20 | website = the Guardian|language=en|access-date=2021-04-07}}</ref> McClure stated she was withdrawing as a reviewer of ME/CFS research grants and NIH appointed a new panel.<ref name="Nodeaththreat20120406" /> In 2021, NIH stated that grant review rosters during the 2011-2021 period were blinded because multiple death threats had been made to multiple researchers; however, an FOA request revealed no such threats were reported to NIH beyond beyond the journalist's call to McClure regarding rumors of activist activity.<ref name="Nodeaththreat20120406">{{Cite web | url = http://occupyme.net/2021/04/06/the-death-threat-myth-exposed/ | title = The Death Threat Myth Exposed | last = Spotlia | first = Jennie | authorlink=Jennie Spotila | date = Apr 6, 2021 | website = Occupy ME|archive-url=|archive-date=|url-status=|access-date=2021-04-08}}</ref> ====Simon Wessely and the PACE trial authors==== Another 2011 claim from a different researcher in the UK was used as evidence that there were "death threats" to multiple researchers, yet the [[PACE trial]] Freedom of Information Act Tribunal in 2015 found no death threats, and the only evidence of "harassment" was a single researcher, Prof. Professor [[Trudie Chalder]], being heckled once at a seminar in [[Norway]]. Professor Sir [[Simon Wessely]], a center manager for the PACE trial and credited in the research, did not give evidence.<ref name="pace2011a">{{cite journal | last1 = White | first1 = PD | authorlink1 = Peter White | last2 = Goldsmith | first2 = KA | authorlink2 = Kimberley Goldsmith | last3 = Johnson | first3 = AL | authorlink3 = Anthony Johnson | last4 = Potts | first4 = L | authorlink4 = Laura Potts | last5 = Walwyn | first5 = R | authorlink5 = Rebecca Walwyn | last6 = DeCesare | first6 = JC | authorlink6 = Julia DeCesare | last7 = Baber | first7 = HL | authorlink7 = Hannah Baber | last8 =Burgess | first8 = M | authorlink8 = Mary Burgess | last9 = Clark | first9 = LV | authorlink9 = Lucy Clark | last10 = Cox | first10 = DL | authorlink10 = Diane Cox | last11 = Bavinton | first11 = J | authorlink11 = Jessica Bavinton | last12 = Angus | first12 = BJ | authorlink12 = Brian Angus | last13 = Murphy | first13 = G | authorlink13 = Gabrielle Murphy | last14 = Murphy | first14 = M | authorlink14 = Maurice Murphy | last15 = O'Dowd | first15 = H | authorlink15 = Hazel O'Dowd | last16 = Wilks | first16 = D | authorlink16 = David Wilks | last17 = McCrone | first17 = P | authorlink17 = Paul McCrone | last18 = Chalder | first18 = T | authorlink18 = Trudie Chalder | last19 = Sharpe | first19 = M | authorlink19 = Michael Sharpe | last20 = The PACE Trial Management Group | authorlink20 = PACE Trial Management Group| title = Comparison of adaptive pacing therapy, cognitive behaviour therapy, graded exercise therapy, and specialist medical care for chronic fatigue syndrome (PACE): a randomised trial| journal = The Lancet | volume = 377 | issue = 9768 | pages = 823–836 | date = March 5, 2011 | pmid = 21334061| doi= 10.1016/S0140-6736(11)60096-2| url = http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(11)60096-2/}}</ref><ref name="FirstTierTribunal2015">{{Cite news | title = First-tier tribunal: Information Rights Appeal EA/2015/0269. | url = https://informationrights.decisions.tribunals.gov.uk//DBFiles/Decision/i1854/Queen%20Mary%20University%20of%20London%20EA-2015-0269%20(12-8-16).PDF | page = 40 | last = Kennedy | first = Brian | last2 = Stephenson | first2 = Darryl | last3 = Watson | first3 = Nigel|quote=The evidence of <nowiki>[expert witness]</nowiki> Professor Anderson that third parties could not identify participants from the information alone and that, when pressed, he said that the chance of an "activist" being able to discover information that would lead to individual identification was remote, it was clear that his assessment of activist behaviour was, in our view, grossly exaggerated and the only actual evidence was that an individual at a seminar had heckled Professor Chalder. The identity of those questioning the research, who had signed an open letter or supported it, was impressive.}}</ref> The NIH referred to a 2011 UK newspaper interview of Simon Wessely, but this had been known to be a baseless allegation by 2015, when it was established that no evidence of death threats or violent threats could be provided.<ref name="FirstTierTribunal2015" /> During the criticism of the PACE trial by patient groups the PACE trial psychiatrists had publicised that they were receiving death threats and harassment, in particular Professor Sir Simon Wessely. The PACE trial investigators and Professor Simon Wessely have publicly claimed they have been harassed.<ref name="Guardian20110821">{{cite news | last1 = Guardian | last2 = Robin McKie| title = Chronic fatigue syndrome researchers face death threats from militants| date =Aug 21, 2011| url= http://www.theguardian.com/society/2011/aug/21/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-myalgic-encephalomyelitis}}</ref><ref name="paceWessely20110827">{{cite news | last1 = Wessely | first1 = Simon | authorlink1 = Simon Wessely| title = Mind the gap - It’s time to stop separating psychiatry and neurology| publisher = Spectator | date = Aug 27, 2011| url= http://www.spectator.co.uk/2011/08/mind-the-gap-3/}}</ref><ref name="paceWessely20110806">{{cite news | last1 = Wessely | first1 = Simon | authorlink1 = Simon Wessely | last2 = Marsh | first2 = Stefanie | authorlink2 = | title = Interview with Professor Simon Wessely| publisher = The Times| date = August 6, 2011| url = http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/science/medicine/article3116831.ece| archive-url= http://www.meassociation.org.uk/2011/08/interview-with-professor-simon-wessely-the-times-6-august-2011/ | archive-date = 6 Aug 2011}}</ref><ref name="paceWessely20110729">{{Cite web | last1 = Wessely | first1 = Simon | authorlink1 = Simon Wessely| title = Malicious' harassment of ME researchers| publisher = BBC - Today | date = Jul 29, 2011| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9550000/9550947.stm}}</ref><ref name="ZimmerC20110821">{{Cite web| last1 = Zimmer | first1 = Carl | title = Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Death threats for scientists?| publisher= Discover Magazine | date = Aug 21, 2011| url= http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2011/08/21/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-death-threats-for-scientists/ }}</ref><ref name="ScienceMag20110906">{{Cite web | last1 = Lowe | first1 = Derek | authorlink1 =| title = Chronic Fatigue: Enough Energy Left for Death Threats, Anyway| publisher = Science Translational Medicine Blog| date = Sep 6, 2011| url = http://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2011/09/06/chronic_fatigue_enough_energy_left_for_death_threats_anyway }}</ref><ref name="ScienceMag20151027">{{citation | last1 = Cohen | first1 = Jon | authorlink1 = | title = Criticism mounts of a long-controversial chronic fatigue study| publisher= Science Magazine | date = Oct 27, 2015 | url= http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/10/criticism-mounts-long-controversial-chronic-fatigue-study}}</ref><ref name="Telegraph20110729">{{Cite web| title = ME researchers 'receive death threats from sufferers' | date = Jul 29, 2011| url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/8669893/ME-researchers-receive-death-threats-from-sufferers.html |publisher =The Telegraph}}</ref><ref name="BBCUK20110721">{{cite web| publisher = BBC News | last = Fielden | first = Tom| title = 'Torrent of abuse' hindering ME research| date = Jul 21, 2011| url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14326514}}</ref> A feature article in the BMJ (read by most UK doctors) was published in June 2011 called ''Dangers of research into chronic fatigue syndrome''.<ref name="Hawkes2011">{{citation | last1 = Hawkes | first1 = Nigel | title = Dangers of research into chronic fatigue syndrome| journal = The BMJ | date = 22 Jul 2011| url = http://www.bmj.com/content/342/bmj.d3780| doi= 10.1136/bmj.d3780 }}</ref> ''The Times'' article was titled ''Doctor’s hate mail is sent by the people he tried to cure''.<ref name="paceWessely20110806" /> An article was also published in the ''Sunday Times'' magazine with Simon Wessely repeating the death threats narrative, this time with an artist's impression of a death threat note on the cover of the section, although no such note was received (only an "unpleasant" phonecall).<ref name="SunTimesUK20130505">{{Cite news | publisher= The Sunday Times| title = This man faced death threats and abuse. His crime? He suggested that ME was a mental illness| date = May 5, 2013 | url = http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/Magazine/Features/article1252529.ece }}</ref> In 2012, an article headline stated ''It’s safer to insult the Prophet Mohammed than to contradict the armed wing of the ME brigade''.<ref name="Telegraph20120928">{{citation | last1 = The Telegraph | title = It’s safer to insult the Prophet Mohammed than to contradict the armed wing of the ME brigade | date = 28 Sep 2012 | url= http://www.meassociation.org.uk/2012/10/its-safer-to-insult-the-prophet-mohammed-than-to-contradict-the-armed-wing-of-the-me-brigade-daily-telegraph-blogs-28-september-2012/}}</ref> However, the PACE authors and their supporters have been accused of blurring the line between harassment and legitimate criticism of the study. Documentation obtained under the Freedom of Information Act from meetings in 2013 that were attended by some of PACE’s principal investigators include a statement that “harassment is most damaging in the form of vexatious FOIs [Freedom of Information requests].”<ref name="TymesTrust2014bts">{{Cite web | last1 = Tymes Trust | first1 = | authorlink1 = Tymes Trust| title = Behind the scenes: Setting up the UK CFS/ME Research Collaborative (UK CMRC)| date = Aug 2014| url= https://www.dropbox.com/s/92m09l9tq55pihh/Behind%20the%20Scenes%20-%20Research%20Collaborative.pdf?dl=0 }}</ref> This framing of FOIA requests as harassment is widely taken to be a reference to the PACE authors, who have complained about the number of FOI requests that they have received for data<ref name="FOI20150318">{{citation | last1 = Information Commissioner's Office| title = FOI Decision Notice: to QMUL| date = Mar 18, 2015 | url= https://ico.org.uk/media/action-weve-taken/decision-notices/2015/1043579/fs_50558352.pdf }}</ref> and who have dismissed several as "vexatious":<ref name="FOI20150629GM-c">{{citation | last1 = McPhee | first1 = Graham | authorlink1 = Graham McPhee | title = FOI Request: Fitness data for PACE trial | date = 28 Jul 2015 | url= https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/fitness_data_for_pace_trial#outgoing-464451 }}</ref><ref name="FOI20151101AS">{{citation | last1 = Sheridan | first1 = Anna | authorlink1 = | url= https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/raw_6mwt_data_after_treatment/new | title = FOI Request: Raw 6min walking test data after treatment | date = Nov 1, 2015}}</ref><ref name="FOI20151211JC">{{citation | last1 = Kings College London| title = FOI Request: Response from Kings College London to James Coyne | date = Dec 11, 2015 | url= https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/23608059/PACE%20F325-15%20-%20Prof.%20James%20Coyne%20-%20Response-2.pdf}}</ref><ref name="FOI20160309AS">{{citation | last1 = Information Commissioner's Office, UK| title = FOI Decision Notice: to QMUL| date = Mar 9, 2016 | url= https://ico.org.uk/media/action-weve-taken/decision-notices/2016/1623721/fs50609018.pdf }}</ref> the Information Commissioner's Office was told that Professor Peter White “believes that the requests are clearly part of a campaign to discredit the trial” and that “the effect of these requests has been that the team involved in the PACE trial, and in particular the professor involved, now feel harassed and believe that the requests are vexatious in nature.”<ref name="FOI20150318" /> The scientific criticisms of the PACE trial were referred to by the investigators - and The Lancet - as part of a "campaign" to undermine the the study. An editorial comment in the prestigious journal ''The Lancet'' described the trial as “rigorously conducted” and questioned whether the “coordination of the response... has been born... from an active campaign to discredit the research”.<ref name="pace2011LancetEd">{{citation | last1 = The Lancet| title = Editorial: Patients' power and PACE| journal = The Lancet | date = May 17, 2011 | doi= 10.1016/S0140-6736(11)60696-X | url= http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(11)60696-X/fulltext }}</ref> In an interview on Australian national radio Dr Richard Horton, The Lancet's editor, described patients who criticised the trial as “a fairly small, but highly organised, very vocal and very damaging group of individuals”.<ref name="pace20110418radio">{{Citation | last1 = Swan | first1 = Norman | authorlink1 =| last2 = Sharpe | first2 = Michael | authorlink2 = Michael Sharpe | last3 = Horton | first3 = Richard | authorlink3 = Richard Horton| title = Health Report - Comparison of treatments for chronic fatigue syndrome - the PACE trial| publisher= ABC Radio National (Australia) - Health Report | date = Apr 18, 2011| url= http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/healthreport/comparison-of-treatments-for-chronic-fatigue/2993296#transcript | url-status=dead| archive-date = 18 Apr 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110423065733/http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/2011/04/hrt_20110418_0830.mp3}}</ref> The PACE trial authors used claims of "death threats" and "harassment" among their reasons for refusing to provide anonymised data to many individuals and also refused to accept the UK Information Commissioners Office Tribunal order to release the full PACE trial data in 2015. During the appeal to the Tribunal an articlewas published by their associates in ''Nature'' in which they bizarrely described disabled ME sufferers as “hard-line opponents” of research into chronic fatigue syndrome and compared them with industry lobbyists such as tobacco and climate change denialists.<ref name="Lewandowsky20160125">{{Cite web| last1 = Lewandowsky | first1 = Stephan | authorlink1 = | last2 = Bishop | first2 = Dorothy | authorlink2 = | title = Research integrity: Don't let transparency damage science| publisher= Nature News| date = Jan 25, 2016| url = http://www.nature.com/news/research-integrity-don-t-let-transparency-damage-science-1.19219}}</ref><ref name="Lewandowsky20160204">{{Cite news | last1 = Lewandowsky | first1 = Stephan | authorlink1 = | title = Most Christians are definitely not terrorists| website= Shaping Tomorrows World (blogs)| date = 4 Feb 2016| url = http://www.shapingtomorrowsworld.org/lewandowskycfs.html| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170921192242/http://www.shapingtomorrowsworld.org:80/lewandowskycfs.html| archive-date = Sep 21, 2017}}</ref><ref name="NYT20110218">{{Cite news | publisher = New York Times| date = Feb 17, 2011| title = Psychotherapy Eases Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Study Finds| url=http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/18/health/research/18fatigue.html?_r=0}}</ref> {{Quote frame|text=Wrapping themselves in victimhood, the [PACE authors] have even managed to extend their definition of harassment to include any questioning of their science and the filing of requests for data — a tactic that has shielded their work from legitimate and much-needed scrutiny.”<ref name="Tuller20160201" /<ref name="MEAction20160201victim">{{Cite web | publisher = #MEAction | authorlink1 = #MEAction | title = Tuller: PACE authors "wrapping themselves in victimhood"| date = Feb 1, 2016| url= http://www.meaction.net/2016/02/01/tuller-pace-authors-wrapping-themselves-in-victimhood/}}</ref> | author = [[David Tuller]] | date = Feb 1, 2016}} ====Science Media Centre involvement ==== The [[Science Media Centre]] (SMC), which Simon Wessely is a director of, was found to have orchestrated and publicised the false narrative in2011 in the UK media about extremists harassing researchers.<ref name="SMCUK201110TOP" /><ref name="SMCUK201302ETE">{{Cite web | last1 = Science Media Centre | authorlink1 = Science Media Centre | last2 = Blithell | first2 = Claire | authorlink2 = | title = Supporting experts targeted by extremists | publisher = Science Media Centre | issue = Review of First Three Years in Mental Health Research| page =10 | date = Feb 2013 | url= http://www.sciencemediacentre.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Review-of-the-first-three-years-of-the-mental-health-research-function-at-the-Science-Media-Centre.pdf | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160418232134/http://www.sciencemediacentre.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Review-of-the-first-three-years-of-the-mental-health-research-function-at-the-Science-Media-Centre.pdf | archive-date =Apr 18, 2016}}</ref> An article in the Establishment in May 2016, [https://theestablishment.co/the-hidden-battle-for-the-rights-of-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-sufferers-cd20bef0f13a#.nz06llmkn For Those Suffering From Chronic Fatigue, Victim-Blaming Is Rampant] summarised the campaign to smear ME sufferers and how these psychiatrists after categorising ME as a psychological over two decades then were able to use institutional gaslighting when patients were question the scientific validity of the trial andto stop access to data requests from the PACE trial by framing them as harassment and abuse. [[Catherine Hale]] has written about the ''Politics of Stigma'' created for ME sufferers by the PACE trial authors.<ref name="HaleC201512">{{Cite web| last1 = Hale | first1 = Catherine| authorlink1 = Catherine Hale | title = The politics of stigma with ME/CFS | website= Catherine Hale (blog) | date = Dec 17, 2015 | url= http://www.catherinehale.net/2015/12/the-politics-of-stigma-with-mecfs.html }}</ref> Peter Tatchell, a human rights advocate has supported ME sufferers for their human rights against the psychotherapies and the PACE trial and defended them from the smear campaigns by the psychiatrists similar to what he faced in his advocacy in the 1970s.<ref name="MEMilitant20171008">{{Cite web | last1 = MEMilitant | title = RC Psych previously smeared patients - Will this change? | publisher= Twitter| date = Oct 8, 2017| url = https://twitter.com/MEMilitant1/status/916678145696325632| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180328062946/https://twitter.com/MEMilitant1/status/916678145696325632| archive-date = Mar 28, 2018}}</ref><ref name="TatchellP20160921">{{Cite web| last1 = Tatchell | first1 = Peter| authorlink1 = | title = Isaac Marks - Lessons not Learnt | publisher= Twitter | date = Sep 21, 2016 | url= https://twitter.com/PeterTatchell/status/778256247300775936}}</ref> <ref name="TatchellP20160923">{{Cite web | last1 = Tatchell | first1 = Peter | authorlink1 = | title = Worrying how the DWP treats disabled people| publisher= Twitter| date = Sep 23, 2016 | url= https://twitter.com/PeterTatchell/status/778981017768058881}}</ref> <ref name="SMCUK20131031">{{Cite web| last1 = Science Media Centre | authorlink1 = Science Media Centre | last2 = Fox | first2 = Fiona | authorlink2 = | title = SMC - malicious use of FOI against researchers | publisher= Science Media Centre | issue = (email)| date = Oct 31, 2013| url= https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CVyL6v0W4AAmSKE.jpg:large}}</ref> Ethics experts [[Charlotte Blease]] and [[Diane O'Leary]] have investigated ethics and injustice in the behavior of some researchers in the ME/CFS field and the effects of government and institutional actions on patients. ====Esther Crawley ==== Another British researcher, Prof. [[Esther Crawley]], claimed to have received many threats including death threats and serious harassment as a result of her ME/CFS research, which again promoted the use of the [[biopsychosocial model]] and the treatments used in the [[PACE trial]] but on children, and the use of the pseudoscientific [[Lightning Process]].<ref name="deaththreats">{{Cite web |url = http://www.meassociation.org.uk/2011/07/death-threats-saga-transcript-of-discussion-on-bbc-radio4-today-programme-29-july-2011/ | date = Jul 29, 2011 | title = Death threats saga - transcript of discussion on BBC radio 4 today programme 29 July 2011 | last = ME Association | authorlink = ME Association}}</ref> but has not provide any evidence or details in support of her claim. After a Freedom of Information Act request by the [[Tymes Trust|Young ME Sufferers Trust]], a British patient charity for children with ME, was upheld, the University of Bristol stated it had "no record" of such threats or harassment.<ref name="vadamagazine">{{Cite web | url = https://vadamagazine.com/news/esther-crawley-claims-harassment-university-no-record | title = Esther Crawley claims harassment, university has no record | last = Lowe | first = Adam | author-link = | date = | website = VADA magazine|language=en-GB|archive-url=|archive-date=|url-status=|access-date=2021-04-07}}</ref><ref name="TTnoharass" /> {{Quote frame|text=We have received no official reports of harassment of University staff by a third party between September 2010 and June 2015."<ref name="TTnoharass">{{Cite web|url = http://www.tymestrust.org/pdfs/noharassmentbristol.pdf | last = The Young ME Sufferers Trust | title = No harassment at Bristol University | authorlink = Tymes Trust}}</ref> | author = University of Bristol}} An article published by VADA magazine examined a number of alleged claims of harassment and threats and that they had been rejected by the courts in the [[PACE trial]] tribunal, plus the claims of threats repeated by Crawley in a number of live talks, which it found were false as it transpired it was actually an artist's illustration used on the cover of a magazine article.<ref name="vadamagazine" /> Therefore, there was no evidence of any harassment despite the campaign in the media and science conferences.<ref name="TTnoharass" /> Subsequently the University of Bristol published a confusing statement on their website and stated that it was aware "Professor Crawley in particular has experienced significant harassment and personal abuse over several years". This was inconsistent with the actual official FOI response. It explained that "The University does not have a process for 'official recording' of harassment by third parties of our members of staff hence the response to this FOI request" [[Voices from the Shadows]] commented on the controversy in their article [http://voicesfromtheshadowsfilm.co.uk/2017/bristol-university-both-denies-and-supports-prof-crawley-in-her-career-enhancing-heroic-victim-narrative/ 'Bristol University both denies and supports Prof Crawley in her career enhancing “heroic victim” narrative'].<ref name="VoicesFrom">[http://voicesfromtheshadowsfilm.co.uk/2017/bristol-university-both-denies-and-supports-prof-crawley-in-her-career-enhancing-heroic-victim-narrative/ 'Bristol University both denies and supports Prof Crawley in her career enhancing “heroic victim” narrative']</ref> They stated of the inconsistency "However, this is seriously at odds with their website, which now echoes the accusations Prof Esther Crawley has been making very publicly at several lectures this year" and "[i]f this really is true, then the University has given a fraudulent response to the Freedom of Information requests."<ref name="VoicesFrom" /> {{See also|Esther Crawley}} ====No evidence of police involvement ==== No evidence of anyone with ME/CFS in relation to these matters being charged by the police/law enforcement or convicted in the Courts with harassment and death threats has come to light, despite a number of [[ME activists and advocates|ME advocates]] attempting to find evidence, including filing Freedom of Information Act requests to public bodies.<ref name="Nodeaththreat20120406" /><ref name="warringfactions">{{Cite web | url = https://valerieeliotsmith.com/2019/01/14/changing-the-narrative-2-warring-factions-divide-rule-and-death-threats/ | title = Changing the narrative #2: warring factions, divide & rule and death threats | date = 2019-01-14 | website = valerieeliotsmith|language=en|access-date=2019-08-14 | last = Eliot-Smith | first = Valerie | authorlink=Valerie Eliot Smith|archive-url=|archive-date=|url-status=}}</ref><ref name="warringfactions" /><ref name="FOIA138299">{{Cite web | url = https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/138299/response/341512/attach/html/2/Response%20Letter.pdf.html | title = Freedom of information act request 138299, response 341512 | last = King's College London | first = | authorlink = King's College London | date = Dec 12, 2012 | website = whatdotheyknow.com|archive-url=|archive-date=|url-status=|access-date=2019-03-22}}</ref><ref name="FOI370916">{{Cite web | url = https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/370916/response/921879/attach/3/F366.16%20Response.pdf | title=Freedom of Information Act request 370916, response 921879 | last = King's College London | first = | authorlink = King's College London | date = Jan 17, 2017 | website = |archive-url=|archive-date=|url-status=|access-date=}}</ref> {{See also|PACE trial}}
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