An autistic teenager in the UK has been arrested after allegedly making a homophobic remark about a police officer, prompting calls for an investigation into the incident. The 16-year-old girl from Leeds was taken into custody outside her home in the early hours of Monday, August 7, following a complaint made by her mother. The incident, which was captured on video and shared on social media, showed the girl being detained by seven officers. The footage prompted concerns from a UK lawmaker, who called for a thorough investigation into the incident.
According to reports, the girl’s mother had uploaded a video to TikTok, which has since been deleted, showing her daughter being arrested. In the video, the girl can be heard saying that a female officer looked like her nanna who is a lesbian, referring to her grandmother. This remark led to the girl being arrested on suspicion of a homophobic public order offense. However, critics argue that making a comment in a private home cannot result in a public order offense.
The footage shows two officers inside the girl’s home, while she sits in a corner, hiding inside a cupboard. A female officer with short blonde hair can be heard stating that the girl will be arrested, to which the girl’s mother responds by saying that her daughter hadn’t said anything to the officers. The mother explains that her daughter is autistic, but the officer responds dismissively, saying, I don’t care. Another officer then claims that the girl had made homophobic remarks about his colleague. The mother argues that her daughter’s comment was not homophobic, as her grandmother is a lesbian and married to a woman.
As more officers arrive at the scene, the girl can be seen screaming as she is taken away, while the female officer with short blonde hair watches. In response to the incident, Labour MP Kate Osborne, a member of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Autism, expressed her concerns and called for a full investigation. She tweeted that although cases of verbal and homophobic abuse should be taken seriously, the police response in this case appeared to lack empathy and proportionality.
Critics argue that the officers involved behaved inappropriately and called for them to be sacked. Activist Harry Miller, from the organization Fair Cop, likened the officers’ conduct to that of an organized crime gang. Fair Cop was established in response to what it perceives as overreach by police forces and other authorities in England. Miller believes that the situation will only improve when chief constables start dismissing officers and when police and crime commissioners take action against their chief constables.
West Yorkshire Police have stated that they are aware of the video circulating on social media, but they caution that it provides only a limited snapshot of the incident’s circumstances. They received a complaint related to the incident and are currently assessing it through their Professional Standards Directorate. The police claim that the body-worn video cameras used by the officers captured additional context to their actions. The force has highlighted that they take their responsibilities around the welfare of young people in custody and neurodiversity seriously. They have asked the public not to make assumptions based solely on the video shared on social media.
The incident has sparked debate about the boundaries of public order offenses and the need for empathy and proportionality in law enforcement. The investigation into the incident is ongoing, and further updates are expected as more information becomes available.
