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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think an autistic child should not be treated like this by the police?

449 replies

Immoralplant · 10/08/2023 08:10

I don’t know the background to this video, but at no point is there any suggestion by the police that this autistic teenager has done anything other than say words the police didn’t like.

I am absolutely shocked that this is happening in Britain.

IABU - that’s an appropriate police response to homophobic words
IANBU - those police officers should be sacked

Warning: the video shows scenes of an autistic teenager being hurt.

twitter.com/SineadKelly113/status/1689176155562143744?s=20

OP posts:
Thread gallery
8
SauvignonBlanche · 10/08/2023 19:14

DaisyAndDonaldDuck · 10/08/2023 13:33

Actions have consequences. Maybe she’ll learn to not be so rude in future. If this lesson had been taught earlier it needn’t have got to this point.

What a vile, disabilist comment, sadly it’s the sort of shite that those of us with autistic DCs heard regularly. 😡

Kweeky · 10/08/2023 19:18

In cases like this I wonder why the family don’t deal with it - why the police were called at all. If she’s too agreessive and violent for the family -what kind and gentle treatment are the police supposed to do?

PowerTulle · 10/08/2023 19:32

Kweeky · 10/08/2023 19:18

In cases like this I wonder why the family don’t deal with it - why the police were called at all. If she’s too agreessive and violent for the family -what kind and gentle treatment are the police supposed to do?

What? Are you serious? Proportionate would be preferable. In this case it wasn’t even lawful. So maybe they could aim for that to start with.

WeetabixTowels · 10/08/2023 19:46

AnSolas · 10/08/2023 18:31

I am sure that SS will be delighted to provide the child with all the supports etc that the mother may not have been able to access.

Show quote history

Lol.

No they will take corrupt police’s word and no doubt blame the parents and accuse the poor girl of violence

WeetabixTowels · 10/08/2023 19:51

ReformedWaywardTeen · 10/08/2023 19:06

Funnily enough I've just been talking to DD about this case, they're a lesbian and ND too.

Their exact words were "yet when a lad at school told DS I should be launched off the building or that he has this brother should rape me straight, for being gay, the police did fuck all but tell me to be resilient and that it was "just words" which I should ignore".

And yes, that did indeed happen. School did more than the police. In fact, the head couldn't believe the police had said that and had fully backed us reporting the threats made to police as there was only so much they could in school. The school ended up contacting SS themselves.

Wow. I’m so sorry @ReformedWaywardTeen this happened to your DD. This is what I mean about ensuring THEY get the justice they feel they deserve. That carry in in the video was entirely about the police officer feelings rather than actually protecting the public

Anactor · 10/08/2023 19:52

Kweeky · 10/08/2023 19:18

In cases like this I wonder why the family don’t deal with it - why the police were called at all. If she’s too agreessive and violent for the family -what kind and gentle treatment are the police supposed to do?

According to some reports the girl had tagged along with her older sister’s night out (without her mum’s permission). It was the eighteen year old who realised that the situation was escalating out of her control and that she needed help - so she called the police for that help.

So now we’ve got two traumatised kids. The child who got arrested and dragged to the police station for hurty words and the barely adult teen who made the mistake of thinking the police would get her vulnerable sister safely home.

drpet49 · 10/08/2023 19:54

Kweeky · 10/08/2023 19:18

In cases like this I wonder why the family don’t deal with it - why the police were called at all. If she’s too agreessive and violent for the family -what kind and gentle treatment are the police supposed to do?

I have to agree. The police aren’t social services

WeetabixTowels · 10/08/2023 19:55

drpet49 · 10/08/2023 19:54

I have to agree. The police aren’t social services

Show quote history

They brought her home from a night out when she was drunk in the city centre. That is 100% their job

dcbc1234 · 10/08/2023 19:57

Kweeky · 10/08/2023 18:44

sst Chf Con Khan said police were called at about 12.12am on Monday (August 7), to Leeds city centre after the force received calls from a family member of a 16-year-old girl "who was reportedly intoxicated and putting herself at risk".
He added: “Officers attended at about 1am and drove the teenager to her home so she could be appropriately looked after.

“Upon returning her to the address, comments were made which resulted in the girl being arrested on suspicion of a homophobic public order offence. The nature of the comments made was fully captured on body-worn video.

“When the girl was eventually fit to be interviewed, that interview took place with an appropriate adult. She was later released on bail pending further enquiries and advice from the Crown Prosecution Service.

Surely the CPS is just going to say to the police: 'so what? An autistic girl in distress said you must be a lesbian like her aunt'
what's the crime?

Pallisers · 10/08/2023 19:57

Leaving aside the brutal treatment of a young girl with a disability, is it is now a criminal offence in the UK to say you think someone is a lesbian - even if you say it in your own home? Is that for real? Saying you think someone is a lesbian - simply that - is a homophobic slur.

World's gone mad.

Pallisers · 10/08/2023 19:58

and how could it be a public order offence when she said the words in her own home?

dcbc1234 · 10/08/2023 20:01

Pallisers · 10/08/2023 19:57

Leaving aside the brutal treatment of a young girl with a disability, is it is now a criminal offence in the UK to say you think someone is a lesbian - even if you say it in your own home? Is that for real? Saying you think someone is a lesbian - simply that - is a homophobic slur.

World's gone mad.

An 'Englishman's home' is certainly no longer 'his castle' in Scotland if you get my drift but I didn't think that particular SNP/Scottish Labour/LIbDem 'hate crime' refinement to your dinner table conversation had reached the rest of the UK yet. Wales probably not far behind.
Wonder if Sunak is proud of his UK police force? He is a Yorkshire MP. We need to know that they know what is going on.

OvaHere · 10/08/2023 20:01

Anactor · 10/08/2023 19:52

According to some reports the girl had tagged along with her older sister’s night out (without her mum’s permission). It was the eighteen year old who realised that the situation was escalating out of her control and that she needed help - so she called the police for that help.

So now we’ve got two traumatised kids. The child who got arrested and dragged to the police station for hurty words and the barely adult teen who made the mistake of thinking the police would get her vulnerable sister safely home.

Show quote history

It just gets worse. 😡

dottyshihtzu · 10/08/2023 20:06

If she’s too agreessive and violent for the family

She wasn't being violent? They were worried she was a risk to herself because she'd been drinking, and the police took her home so she couldn't have done anything bad.

what kind and gentle treatment are the police supposed to do?

What are they supposed to do? Not act like bullying twats towards a vulnerable child, maybe?

The girl's ''aggression'' was actually a meltdown caused by the police. 6 or 7 of them cornering one vulnerable child having an autistic meltdown in her safe space and then dragging her out of her home, causing her pain because of her spinal condition, is absolutely appalling and completely over the top, whatever the girl might have said.

SpringViolet · 10/08/2023 20:11

drpet49 · 10/08/2023 19:54

I have to agree. The police aren’t social services

Show quote history

The police are supposed to protect the public and prevent crime though aren’t they?

Maybe the parents weren’t able to get to where she was and they feared the girl was at risk of harm especially due to her vulnerability.

Seems she was more at risk FROM the police!

dcbc1234 · 10/08/2023 20:12

Daily Mail already have it on their website.

LuvSmallDogs · 10/08/2023 20:21

A few years ago now, a young autistic man got convicted for exclaiming "is it a man or a woman" when he saw a trans copper on patrol. Bizarre that the same organisation that's so bigoted is using hate crime legislation to persecute vulnerable members of the public.

FuppingEll · 10/08/2023 20:28

WeetabixTowels · 10/08/2023 19:55

They brought her home from a night out when she was drunk in the city centre. That is 100% their job

Show quote history

To be fair that is her parents job or even a taxis job. It shouldn't be up to the police to taxi pissed up mouthy teens around.

HRTQueen · 10/08/2023 20:36

I was about to type shocking behaviour from the police

but I am not shocked but seriously concerned how not one officer out of the seven who were involved didn’t question what they were doing

it’s appalling that poor girl she is a child

PronounssheRa · 10/08/2023 20:38

FuppingEll · 10/08/2023 20:28

To be fair that is her parents job or even a taxis job. It shouldn't be up to the police to taxi pissed up mouthy teens around.

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There is nothing to suggest she was a mouthy teen.

The police have a statutory duty to safeguard children so yeah when they get a report that a child may be at risk it is absolutely part of their duty, even more so when that child has additional vulnerabilities.

AllOfThemWitches · 10/08/2023 20:53

The police can't be trusted.

ReformedWaywardTeen · 10/08/2023 20:58

WeetabixTowels · 10/08/2023 19:51

Wow. I’m so sorry @ReformedWaywardTeen this happened to your DD. This is what I mean about ensuring THEY get the justice they feel they deserve. That carry in in the video was entirely about the police officer feelings rather than actually protecting the public

Show quote history

It was a couple of years back now.
But it's certainly prepared them that the police won't always back you up if you get homophobic abuse.

Couldn't fault the school though.

So this poor kid, being put through that because she simply remarked harmlessly that the officer resembled her grab who is a lesbian, makes me so cross. The officer needs to remove the stick from up her arse. Total over reaction

Fuckingfuming1 · 10/08/2023 21:01

Kweeky · 10/08/2023 19:18

In cases like this I wonder why the family don’t deal with it - why the police were called at all. If she’s too agreessive and violent for the family -what kind and gentle treatment are the police supposed to do?

in my case i called for an ambulance and got the riot squad

FemaleAndLearning · 10/08/2023 21:02

Interesting the number of hate crimes prosecuted that are against the police.
https://archive.ph/iUume This is from 2021.

In the night time economy some police forces do look after at risk people. It's called crime prevention. I read the older sister couldn't get hold of mum so rang the police.

I wonder how much money the force spends on disability awareness training compared to TQ plus training and events. I feel an FOI might be necessary.

Anactor · 10/08/2023 21:12

FuppingEll · 10/08/2023 20:28

To be fair that is her parents job or even a taxis job. It shouldn't be up to the police to taxi pissed up mouthy teens around.

Show quote history

It is absolutely the police’s job to escort pissed up mouthy teens home if they think said pissed up mouthy teens are in danger of harm.

However, it wouldn’t surprise me if part of the problem here was that Annoyed WPC also thought she was above dealing with the petty and dull day to day of police work - like seeing that a vulnerable child got home safely, even if she didn’t want to.