Here is the summary of the events in six paragraphs:
First Minister John Swinney has firmly refused to offer an apology to tech billionaire Elon Musk, despite the recent emergence of new details surrounding a controversial incident involving a 12-year-old girl in Dundee. Last year, the First Minister publicly accused the X owner of spreading misinformation after Musk questioned why Scottish authorities had arrested a young girl who was filmed brandishing a knife and an axe. Swinney’s defiance comes in the wake of a recent court conviction involving the individual who confronted the girl, casting the initial narrative of the event in a starkly different light.
The controversy stems from an incident in August 2025 in the Lochee area of Dundee, during which the 12-year-old was filmed with weapons after being approached by 22-year-old Ilia Belov. Belov, a Bulgarian national, was convicted last week of assaulting the girl and behaving in a threatening or abusive manner toward four young girls aged between 12 and 14. Testimony revealed that Belov had sexually harassed the child, telling her, “Come here sexy. I will show you how to have a good time,” prompting the girl to retrieve the weapons to defend herself.
Reform UK leader in Scotland, Malcolm Offord, raised the matter at Holyrood during First Minister’s Questions, emphasizing the trauma endured by the girl and her family. Offord noted that the child had been “wildly vilified” in the public square and by officials for defending herself against a migrant perpetrator. He communicated the mother’s demand for an apology, arguing that her daughter was unfairly branded a liar, a racist, and a far-right agitator. Offord pointedly questioned why the government had attacked Musk for asking why a girl was arrested for self-defense, rather than investigating the circumstances of her vulnerability.
Responding to the pressure, Swinney offered an unequivocal apology to the girl and her family, acknowledging the distress caused by the situation. He maintained, however, that his initial condemnation of the commentary surrounding the incident was a direct result of the information provided to him by Police Scotland at the time. The First Minister expressed that leaders must operate based on the briefings they receive, though he expressed regret for the impact the ordeal has had on the young person involved.
Despite the apology to the victim, Swinney remained defiant regarding his stance on Elon Musk. He reiterated his refusal to apologize to the billionaire, declaring that he does not view the owner of X as an “actor in good faith” when it comes to social discourse. Swinney argued that his broader concern remains the influence of what he described as “malevolent right-wing actors” who use inflammatory incidents to sow division and destabilize society through the weaponization of social media platforms.
Concluding his remarks, the First Minister warned of a wider societal danger, cautioning that bad-faith actors frequently manipulate local incidents to incite unrest, only to be proven wrong once the full facts emerge. He urged his political opponents to exercise extreme caution in their rhetoric, stating that he refuses to be used as a vehicle for those “determined to sow division.” For Swinney, the lesson of the Lochee case is not a failure of his own judgment, but a warning against the influence of disruptive online figures who he believes are actively working to undermine Scottish social cohesion.