Amy George: Trans butcher charged over disappearance of 11-year-old schoolgirl
Selkirk Sheriff Court in Selkirk(Wikimedia Commons)
A trans butcher named Amy George has been changed in connection with the disappearance of an 11-year-old schoolgirl, who has been found safe and well.
The girl was reported missing on Sunday (5 February) from the Scottish border town of Galashiels.
A “huge” search operation was subsequently launched to find the child, and unprecedented numbers of specialist officers and teams – including divers, a police helicopter and mountain rescue teams – were drafted in to support the search.
As the Border Telegraph reported, partner agencies, volunteers and members of the public also all helped look for the 11-year-old.
The following day (6 February) Lothians & Scottish Borders Police told the local media the child had been traced to a property in the Galashiels and was found at around 9.30pm.
A 53-year-old was arrested in connection with the disappearance and charged on Wednesday (8 February).
The individual was Amy George, but police identified them as a man named Andrew Miller.
A neighbour told the Daily Mail: “A man was seen being put into the back of the police vehicle.
“It’s a really affluent area and is extremely quiet so this has all come as a bit of a shock. The person who lives there used to run the butcher shop in Melrose.
“They use a woman’s name now but were previously known as Andrew Miller and are very well known in the community.”
In Scotland Police’s press release about the charges, the force used male pronouns to refer to Miller and did specify what the charges exactly were – as is customary in Scottish law.
However, information which has surfaced from social media suggests Miller uses both male and female identities.
Miller arrived at Selkirk Sheriff Court this morning covered by a blanket to obscure their face.
Following the arrest, the police praised the community coming together to find the child.
Chief superintendent Catriona Paton, Lothians & Scottish Borders commander, said: “I want to thank the public for their huge effort and assistance during this incident. The people of Galashiels really came together and supported each other, the emergency services and search teams.
“We believe this incident to be contained and enquiries into the circumstances are ongoing.
“There will be increased high visibility patrols in the streets to provide reassurance and advice to the public, and anyone with concerns can speak to an officer at any time.”
