Police investigate children: Is that the new madness in England?

Police investigate children: Is that the new madness in England?

In England and Wales, a controversial topic causes excitement: Children are examined by the police for insults!

A scandal that shakes the nation! Last month, a British journalist reported that the police stood at her front door in Essex to ask her about a contribution she had published on X a year ago about the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan.

On November 12th, Allison Pearson, columnist of the right newspaper The Daily Telegraph, made headlines when she revealed that she was examined because of a "non-crime hate incident" (nchi). However, the police rejected this and stated that it was examined for racial hatred for a possible crime of the incitement. But only a few days later the investigation was discontinued.

whether it was an NCHI or a potential crime, the controversy about Pearson's experience have re -ignored the discussion about this controversial practice, nchis.

What are "non-crime hate incidents"?

The law on police, crime, law enforcement and courts from 2022 defines an NCHI as an action that is "obviously motivated by deliberate hostility or prejudice against people with a certain characteristic". These characteristics can include breed, religion, sexuality, disability or gender identity.

The West Yorkshire Police lists examples of Nchis, including verbal or online nuisance, bullying in schools or at work, insulting leaflets or posters as well as unloading garbage in front of houses. Since June 2023, the police in England and Wales have been legally obliged to record reports on Nchis.

In April 2024, a separate law on hate crime was introduced, which also mentioned NCHIS. It is at the discretion of the police how reports on hate crimes or incidents are examined and recorded.

The controversy around nchis

The opinions about the recording of Nchis are split. Critics argue that this practice limits freedom of expression, hinders police work and targets people who should not be on the police list. A report by the Times revealed that a nine -year -old boy who described a classmate as a "retard", as well as two students, who described another student as "fishing", were recorded as Nchis.

The complaints about Nchis have increased lately. According to data from 45 of the 48 police authorities in the United Kingdom, 13,200 complaints were recorded last year. Experts estimate that more than 60,000 police hours per year are spent on processing Nchis.

Nick Herbert, the chairman of the College of Policing, recently commented and described the recording of Nchis as a "obstacle" for the police, which should concentrate on the prevention of damage.

On the other hand, there are voices that emphasize the need to monitor Nchis, since they could indicate hater -filled behavior that can turn into criminal behavior. Danny Stone, Managing Director of Anisemitism Policy Trust, argued that reporting on hate incidents had positive effects on the police and the communities.

An example that stone leads to is the tragic case of Fiona Pilkington, who committed suicide after years of bullying. Despite multiple police contacts, it was not intervened.

The debate about Nchis is getting hot. While some advocate the abolition, others see them as a necessary tool in the fight against hate crimes. The future of this controversial practice remains uncertain.