Home Secretary to crack down on police reporting of non-crime hate incidents

Suella Braverman criticised by Muslim Council of Britain after autistic boy accused of dropping the holy Quran

The Home Secretary will launch a crackdown on police needlessly recording non-crime hate incidents in the wake of a row over the handling of the Quran at a West Yorkshire school.

Last year, the College of Policing, the police professional standards body, changed its guidance to stop officers recording incidents that do not amount to a crime.

Despite this, officers said an incident in which the Muslim holy book was damaged was a non-crime hate incident.

Suella Braverman’s intervention comes after the 14-year-old schoolboy, who is reportedly autistic, received death threats after a copy of the Quran was damaged.

The book was dropped and sustained minor damage, with police called to investigate the incident and said no crime had been committed.

It is not clear who dropped the book, or how it was damaged at Kettlethorpe High School, in Wakefield.

Officers recorded it as a non-crime hate incident - used to note incidents which fail to meet the criminal threshold.

However, Whitehall sources confirmed to The Telegraph on Sunday night that as a result of the row, Ms Braverman will issue new guidance later this month to remind police forces only to record non-crime hate incidents where it is “proportionate and absolutely necessary”.

She will also tell police to remove from their records any such incidents which do not meet that strict threshold to prevent them showing up in future enhanced police checks.

Meanwhile, the Muslim Council of Britain has criticised the Home Secretary, accusing her of “ignoring the common sense approach” to “establish the full facts” of the incident.

They said she instead “twisted a local issue from a school playground to fit pre-existing national agendas and ideologies”.

The revised statutory code of practice comes in the wake of the controversy over the Quran incident.

Ms Braverman has already made clear that she believes the police overreacted to the incident and that she believes that the way in which non-crime hate incidents are recorded are insufficient and require reform.

She also expressed her “deep concern” over the incident at the school in Wakefield over the weekend and said it is “appalling” that an autistic schoolboy has received death threats.

Earlier this week, it emerged that West Yorkshire Police became involved in the incident after the Year 10 pupil brought a copy of the Islamic holy book into his school as a forfeit for losing a Call of Duty video game.

However, the book was dropped on the floor causing a small tear on the cover and scuffing to some pages.

Muslims are taught to handle the Quran with respect and care and in some cases many wash their hands before touching it.

Separately, four pupils were also suspended from the school - after it was dropped - prompting criticism from humanist and free speech campaign groups.

'Irresponsible to respond'

A spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain said: “Over the last week, there has been speculative reporting around an alleged incident at a Wakefield school involving the damage – willful or otherwise – of the holy Qur’an. The subsequent response involving the local police has been clear that no crime has taken place.

“However, without establishing the full facts, it would be irresponsible to respond to this speculation, and more than likely to create more division.

“Unfortunately, many commentators from all sides including the Home Secretary, have ignored this common sense approach and have taken immediately to social media to comment on the issue, twisting a local issue from a school playground to fit pre-existing national agendas and ideologies.

“The [Muslim Council of Britain]  condemns any calls for violence and calls for cooler heads to prevail and for the local community – Muslims and non-Muslims – to come together and investigate the incident thoroughly, objectively and with mercy.

“Schools should be safe spaces where we provide opportunities for young people to learn, grow and see the diversity of Britain.”

West Yorkshire Police was contacted for comment.

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