‘Keyboard warriors’ shouldn't be sentenced to prison, Church of England bishop says

Police officers stand on duty outside the entrance to a building housing the headquarters of the Reform UK political party, during a "Stop the Far-right" demonstration on a National Day of Protest, in London on August 10, 2024. Brexit activist Nigel Farage, whose anti-illegal immigration Reform UK party won 14 percent of the vote on the July 4 general election, has suggested the recent rioting stems from legitimate grievances about mass immigration, rather than simply far-right thuggery, and warned worse could be seen on the streets. | BENJAMIN CREMEL/AFP via Getty Images

A prominent bishop in the Church of England contends that "keyboard warriors" shouldn't be jailed for commenting on social media about the spate of riots that broke out in the U.K. after a man murdered three young girls in a mass stabbing.

The Bishop of Gloucester, the Rt. Rev. Rachel Treweek, said she believes the individuals jailed for allegedly inciting the riots by commenting online shouldn't be punished with prison time.

Treweek, who speaks for the Church of England on prison issues, said that while she believes there must be "consequences for all of our actions," the prison sentences for alleged online incitement were "not right."

Continued below.