Police investigate children for insults – a scandalous trend in England and Wales!
An alarming report reveals that children in England and Wales are being targeted by police simply for swearing at each other! A shocking example of the absurdities resulting from the new legislation to record “non-criminal hate incidents” (NCHI).
Last month, a British journalist caused a stir when she reported that police were at her front door in Essex. The reason? An innocuous post about former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan that she published on X a year ago. Allison Pearson, a columnist for the Conservative newspaper The Daily Telegraph, claimed she was being investigated for an NCHI. But the police rejected it and said it was a possible offense of inciting racial hatred – but the investigation was closed just a few days later.
What are these “non-criminal hate incidents”?
The Police, Crime, Law Enforcement and Courts Act 2022 defines NCHIs as actions that are “apparently motivated by deliberate hostility or prejudice towards people with certain characteristics”. These characteristics may include race, religion, sexuality, disability or gender identity. West Yorkshire Police lists examples such as verbal or online harassment, bullying in schools or workplaces and the distribution of offensive leaflets.
Since June 2023, police in England and Wales have been legally required to collect reports of NCHIs. A similar law has been in place in Scotland since April 2024, directing police on how to deal with such incidents.
But the recording of these incidents is not without controversy. Critics argue they restrict freedom of expression and waste valuable police time. A shocking example came to light when the Times reported that a nine-year-old boy who called a classmate a “retard” and two students who called another a “fishy” were recorded as NCHIs. Reports of such incidents are increasing – over 13,200 complaints were recorded last year, resulting in a huge expenditure of over 60,000 police hours annually.
The debate about the need for NCHIs
While some call for the abolition of NCHIs, others argue that monitoring is necessary to detect potentially dangerous behavior. Danny Stone, chief executive of the Antisemitism Policy Trust, emphasizes that reporting on hate incidents has a positive impact on police and communities. He refers to tragic cases in which people were driven to suicide due to years of harassment by youth in their neighborhood.
Controversy surrounding NCHIs is growing. College of Policing chairman Nick Herbert said the collection of NCHIs had become an “obstacle to policing”. He calls on the government to reconsider this practice. On the other hand, there are voices that emphasize the importance of NCHIs to detect a climate of hatred before violent outbreaks occur.
The discussion about NCHIs is also fueled by prominent figures such as former minister Suella Braverman and journalist Darren Grimes, both of whom fight against the recording of such incidents. Grimes described the investigation against him as an “Orwellian marker” and questioned freedom in Britain.
The debate over NCHIs is a hot potato that is dividing British society. While some emphasize the need for these records, others see them as a dangerous restriction on freedom of expression. The question remains: How far can the state go to combat perceived hatred?
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