Autistic girl 16 arrested for saying police officer looked like her lesbian nana

Rosie51

I appreciate your circumstances are different to mine Anniebach but my son was beaten to a pulp on a London street at 2am and the offender 'got off' for a technicality. I stand by my opinion that the behaviour I see portrayed on the released video by the girl's mother gives me much concern for the behaviour of the officers featured. I do realise it's a snapshot, but it is concerning. Our police do so 'by consent', I want it to continue in that ethos.

another good post

growstuff

Namsnanny

I don't see this situation as revolving around this girls autism, or even her behaviour.

The police brought her home, no problem so far.

The problem came about because of the need for one officer to take offence when the comment about being a lesbian who reminded her of her nanna, came about.

There is nothing hateful in the actual words use, but the police officer decided to interpret it so.

This is the problem with having such a thing as a hate crime law.

Are you 100% sure that's all that happened? What do you know of any behaviour or language used on the journey home? Have you seen any recording other than the one the mother made, which could have been edited for all I know?

The first group to pick up on this was Turning Point UK, which is known for its "anti-woke" views. Its emphasis was from the beginning on the alleged homophobic comment rather than the trauma the girl suffered or the background to the incident. For me, that was a tad suspicious. The narrative, of course, for them was that an innocent girl was suffering to protect any criticism of a protected characteristic.

What do you know of the behaviour or language used on the journey home?

I know the police issued a statement almost immediately she was arrested.
That in itself was very unusual.

I'm also pretty sure if they had any unwarranted behaviour in the car or street, we would have been told about it in the statement, which actually went to far in revealing information on a ongoing event.

The young 16 year old was brought home in the police car with 2 officers.

Those 2 officers were invited into her home, so she didn't seem to have erupted in the street.

I believe she was arrested on Homophobic public order offence.

I believe I'm correct (and I'm sure you will correct me if not), a person cannot be arrested on a public order offence, when in their home

Therefore, the arrest was unlawful

7 yes seven more police were called out to the home later.

She was not violent, or brandishing a weapon.

The police had their body cams on, yet no footage of the girl misbehaving has be corroborated.

What would you surmise from that?

When the mother says she has autism someone on camera replies I don't care.

The young police woman's own behaviour leaves a lot to be desired, if you watch closely on the video.

As for the mother filming this, the way some of the police behave nowadays I think she had great forethought to do so.
Now there is footage from both the police and the victim.

Who I believe has no charges to answer to.

But it has come to a pretty pass, when it takes 7 or more officers, pulled out from answering more urgent calls to deal with a situation such as this.

It sometimes seems, if you look at the crime stats. that some of the police need to re equate themselves with the reality of their job.

I feel very sorry for those who are valiantly trying to make a difference.

You find a lot of things suspicious about this, and look for answers in the time before she was taken home, and off camera.

If I were to question anything, I would ask why does this incident require that number of officers to attend?

I appreciate your circumstances are different to mine Anniebach but my son was beaten to a pulp on a London street at 2am and the offender 'got off' for a technicality. I stand by my opinion that the behaviour I see portrayed on the released video by the girl's mother gives me much concern for the behaviour of the officers featured. I do realise it's a snapshot, but it is concerning. Our police do so 'by consent', I want it to continue in that ethos.

With respect you don’t know how the officers behaved , I speak as a widow of a serving police officer killed on duty.

Anniebach

Would the police have made that statement if the mother hadn’t posted hers on social media, she made it public

Yes she did, and while I cannot know her motives I think it's actually irrelevant. To me, as the mum of a serving officer, I would have been ashamed if my son had been involved in this incident and had behaved as any of these officers behaved. Thankfully my son would most certainly not have behaved in such a dismissive way, maybe why he has 5 commendations so far?

Would the police have made that statement if the mother hadn’t posted hers on social media, she made it public

Anniebach

The only reporting has come from the mother

Except for West Yorkshire police confirming the girl was interviewed with an appropriate adult and no further action expected against her. Which rather suggests it was a huge mountain made out of a molehill. My severely autistic grandson would suffer repercussions from such actions for months if not years, but hey ho what do neurodiverse people count for? Absolutely nothing!

The only reporting has come from the mother

maddyone

Wyllow3

Well...it tells me things maybe weren't entirely right at home, thats speculation of course, and be that as it may:

*but what mum of an autistic child would decide to splash their child's ID all over social media*

I’m tending to agree here with Wyllow.
I don’t know why seven police officers were needed for one sixteen year old girl.
I think the mother’s behaviour of filming the incident was reprehensible.

In previous times I would have 100% agreed with I think the mother’s behaviour of filming the incident was reprehensible but even as the mother of a police officer I now would think this is a required defence of biased reporting. I hold the blonde officer in such contempt I am at a loss for words!!

Wyllow3

Well...it tells me things maybe weren't entirely right at home, thats speculation of course, and be that as it may:

*but what mum of an autistic child would decide to splash their child's ID all over social media*

I’m tending to agree here with Wyllow.
I don’t know why seven police officers were needed for one sixteen year old girl.
I think the mother’s behaviour of filming the incident was reprehensible.

Agreed - as I've said from the beginning, trial by social media - including of course revealing the daughter's ID to the public - little bits of information to construct a narrative in this case decided by the mother

- how can it end well for the young woman?

I agree with you that the situation was handled badly and I haven't disputed that.

I also agree that there are unanswered questions, which is why I'm not willing to join the "trial by social media" jury.

What do you know of any behaviour or language used on the journey home?
Do you not think if any behaviour or language used on the journey home warranted arrest the car would have turned around and not delivered her home? As I said in a previous post I'm the mother of a police officer and often have to defend unfounded criticisms of the police, but whatever preceded the published video there is no doubt the situation was handled very badly and with no adjustment made for the girl's conditions. The girl has been released with no charges and no further action expected. So many questions still unanswered..... who was the appropriate adult with her when questioned (definitely not a parent) and was she represented by a solicitor during interview?

Namsnanny

I don't see this situation as revolving around this girls autism, or even her behaviour.

The police brought her home, no problem so far.

The problem came about because of the need for one officer to take offence when the comment about being a lesbian who reminded her of her nanna, came about.

There is nothing hateful in the actual words use, but the police officer decided to interpret it so.

This is the problem with having such a thing as a hate crime law.

Are you 100% sure that's all that happened? What do you know of any behaviour or language used on the journey home? Have you seen any recording other than the one the mother made, which could have been edited for all I know?

The first group to pick up on this was Turning Point UK, which is known for its "anti-woke" views. Its emphasis was from the beginning on the alleged homophobic comment rather than the trauma the girl suffered or the background to the incident. For me, that was a tad suspicious. The narrative, of course, for them was that an innocent girl was suffering to protect any criticism of a protected characteristic.

Not sure what you are saying, Primrose.

I don't see this situation as revolving around this girls autism, or even her behaviour.

The police brought her home, no problem so far.

The problem came about because of the need for one officer to take offence when the comment about being a lesbian who reminded her of her nanna, came about.

There is nothing hateful in the actual words use, but the police officer decided to interpret it so.

This is the problem with having such a thing as a hate crime law.

My friend fosters teenagers. One of them got in a bit of minor trouble and they had a visit from 2 Policemen. She explained that his behaviour was quite normal for him and said he was autistic.

They said “what’s that?” She tried to explain but they just looked blankly at her.

Anniebach

It could have been avoided, why was a 16 year old out at that time of night getting drunk and why didn’t her mother or a family member bring her home.

She was staying with her older sister and went to a Pride event. She got drunk and her sister could not contact their Mum to arrange to get her home. Her Mum was asleep, she is a cancer survivor.

The sister then rang the Police for help to get her home and says she told them she was autistic.

We really really need the full picture, I feel. I've thought a lot about this today - I had some very kind officers last year when faced with abusive husband but they were with community police who have more training in those areas.

It definitely seems like they did not handle it at all well at points - but how much can we expect of the ordinary on duty night police given the complexity of the many different MH and Neurodiverse people in a state of crisis and situations they might encounter as well as drugs crime, violence on streets, burglaries....

Rosie51

I'm the mother of a police officer who is often at pains to defend them from unfair attacks. My son says the police now have too many officers who are unfit for the job. That not one of those seven officers tried to calm the situation is most disturbing. The body cams of the officers are being viewed and hopefully the truth will out. Whatever the outcome, that officer on being reminded the girl is autistic and is having a meltdown (she is seen hitting herself in the face while crouched down in the cupboard) replies "I don't care"..... well you should, you really should.

Such a good post
Thank you Rosie

There was another incident of an autistic boy accidentally dropping the Quran and was faced with a hate crime charge if he and his mother didn't apologise.

These very
Poor interpretations of the law are giving good hard working policemen a bad name.

Grantanow

I thought the police were not attending mental health issue cases.

Autism is not mental health 😡😡😡

Hetty58

Anniebach, the police returned her home - and that should have been the end of it. I really can't fathom why they then arrested her. Maybe it was just because they can? Perhaps because her mother was saying they can't? It makes no sense at all. Her comment wasn't homophobic.

Clearly we haven't got the full story.

As if 7 police would be called to a incident of dropping a drunk 16 year old home.

I thought the police were not attending mental health issue cases.

It could have been avoided, why was a 16 year old out at that time of night getting drunk and why didn’t her mother or a family member bring her home.

I think it was a clip posted on Mumsnet and orginated from Twitter. I don't do Twitter so cannot check.

It is clear the girl is frightened. I would have ben too in that situation of being trapped in a small space, cupboard,and hear the officer say they didn't care that she had Autism.