Liberal candidate for Warringah Katherine Deves gave an interview to SBS News on Sunday night from a secret location.Credit:SBS
“I have had to have the police and the[Australian Federal Police] involved,” she said. “My safety has been threatened. My family are away out of Sydney because I don't want them to witness what I'm going through and nor do I want their safety put at risk.”
Deves has been criticised over a series ofsince-deleted Twitter posts,including one in which she claimed “half of all males with trans identities are sex offenders”.
In the interview – held at a secret location – she said now was “dangerous to speak your mind” and partially blamed Twitter for the backlash,although she pledged to speak with more nuance in future.
“I recognise that trying to prosecute arguments about complex,nuanced and difficult subjects ... should not take place on a platform that propagates offence and division and hurt,” she said.
“Going forward,I will be conducting myself in a dignified and respectful fashion.
“[Twitter] was not the appropriate platform to do so. I have removed myself from that platform,and I will not be going back there again.”