Blood 'smeared' on Cardiff councillor's car amid rape threats
- Published
'I've had death threats and blood smeared on my car'
A councillor said she is being given a panic alarm so police can trace her after being sent rape and death threats.
Conservative Jayne Cowan, who represents Rhiwbina in Cardiff, has had rotting fish thrown in her garden and dog faeces smeared on her windows.
On Wednesday, she called police after getting a death threat and having blood smeared on her car outside her home.
South Wales Police said it was investigating.
The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) said attacks against councillors were increasing, with reports of arson threats and their children being harassed and intimidated.
While MPs and AMs are contactable through constituency and party offices, councillor's personal details, including their home address in most cases, are often available online.
She said while there was not a lot of blood on her car, it was done after going home before a public meeting
Ms Cowan, who has represented her ward for 20 years, said she had faced a lot of hate over the years but it had now come to a head: "I've had a sympathy card with 'I hope you die' in it, I've had dead flowers delivered to the house.
"I've had cuttings about rape, my car kicked in and tyres slashed, silent phone calls, it's deeply worrying, it's terrifying."
On Wednesday, she called the police after blood prints appeared on her car shortly before she chaired a public meeting about school buses - days after she said a man rang her and threatened to kill her.
Now she said the council and police were looking at giving her a GPS security pendant, which would be able to tell the police where she was if she pressed a button.
"I know this shouldn't happen in this kind of climate, but I think preventative measures have to be put in place now because people's lives are potentially at risk," she said.
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Ms Cowan, whose family are Jewish, had swastikas drawn on election campaign signs with her name on when she was running for the assembly election in 2016.
"It makes me angry - I wish that these people, if they have an issue with me - why don't they just come and speak to me?" she said.
South Wales Police said it was investigating a report of blood "being smeared on a parked car in Rhiwbina" and was looking into the possibility it was linked to previous incidents reported by Ms Cowan.
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Ellen ap Gwynn said the abuse may stop people from standing for election
Ellen ap Gwynn, spokeswoman for the WLGA, said abuse and threats were getting worse and people thought councillors were "fair game" in the aftermath of the Brexit vote.
The Ceredigion council leader said she phoned the police after getting threats and said the abuse women were facing would put people off standing in the future.
"It's undermining democracy, somebody should stand up and say stop, its got to come to an end," she said.
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