On Tuesday 28th October, Justice for Innocent Men Scotland (JIMS) were hosted by Abertay University to speak to a group of fourth-year Criminology students.
JIMS have gained a controversial reputation for their platforming of convicted rapists, publishing written letters from prisoners on their website.
Marazena Paszkowska, Director of JIMS, spoke to students about the ‘feminist lobbying that now shapes policing and prosecution culture’.
As well as being the Director of JIMS, Paszkowska is the partner of John Sturgeon, a man who was convicted of rape and domestic abuse of two women over a three year period. He was sentenced to eight years in prison in July 2024.
The talk was organised by a senior lecturer for the faculty of Social and Applied Sciences, Dr. Stuart Waiton. Waiton has previously written on rape convictions in the justice system, authoring ‘What do we know about ‘rape myth’ research and the claim that there is ‘overwhelming evidence’ that juries are prejudiced in rape trials?’ published in the International Journal of Evidence and Proof in 2024.
On Wednesday, Abertay University released a statement acknowledging the safeguarding concerns for students and staff at the university, admitting that ‘The JIMS speaker session reported in the press was not approved by the senior management team and the group’s views do not reflect those of Abertay University.’
Since the release of this statement, allegations accusing Waiton of abuse of power, racism, and misogyny have flooded the comment section. One ex-student recounts Waiton belittling her experience of rape in class.
Ellie Wilson, a Glasgow University graduate, has spoken out against JIMS’ harassment and intimidation of rape victims. On their official website, JIMS has previously criticised Wilson’s use of her online platform and labelled it as ‘performative victimhood’.
In July 2022, Wilson’s former boyfriend, Daniel McFarlane, was convicted of two counts of rape and sentenced to five years in prison. In August 2025, McFarlane’s father, Dr. Andrew McFarlane, was arrested over abusive social media posts accusing Wilson of wrongfully accusing his son. JIMS has confirmed that Dr. McFarlane is one of their donors.
JIMS have stated online that they ‘had the honor of speaking directly to the future of Scotland’s justice system’.
Late on Thursday night, Abertay’s Principal, Liz Bacon, released a personal statement promising that an investigation into the unapproved speaker will be pursued.
Bacon states that ‘it is clear that the language, content and general approach publicly promoted by members of JIMS is not in alignment with our strategic values statement to be both inclusive and caring, or our commitment to fostering an environment where disclosures of gender-based violence can be freely reported.
‘It is my firm belief that all students must be given appropriate opportunities to engage with a range challenging or controversial views.’
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