Met Police to Halt Non-Crime Hate incident Investigations Following Linehan Case
The Metropolitan police have announced they will cease investigating “non-crime hate incidents” – reports perceived as motivated by hostility towards characteristics like transgender identity, race, or religion – following the dropping of a case against writer Graham Linehan. The decision comes after Linehan successfully had his bail conditions lifted in a hearing the lead investigating officer did not attend, and the Crown Prosecution Service later dropped all charges.
Linehan was initially questioned on suspicion of a public order offense relating to tweets posted last month. The investigation was later downgraded to a non-crime hate incident inquiry. Police cited three tweets as evidence, including one stating: “If a trans-identified male is in a female-only space, he is committing a violent, abusive act.Make a scene, call the cops and if all else fails, punch him in the balls.” Others included a comment about a trans-rights protest – “a photo you can smell” – and a subsequent post expressing strong negative sentiment.
Non-crime hate incidents,while not criminal offences,had previously been investigated by the Met,the UK’s largest police force. The Met will continue to record these incidents to monitor potential community tensions and use the data as intelligence, but will no longer launch formal investigations.
According to a Met spokesperson,the Commissioner believes officers should not be involved in “policing toxic culture war debates,” citing difficulties with existing laws regarding inciting violence online. The spokesperson stated the change aims to “provide clearer direction for officers, reduce ambiguity and enable them to focus on matters that meet the threshold for criminal investigations.” They emphasized that hate crimes will continue to be investigated and prosecuted.
The case sparked a national debate on free speech, prompting comment from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labor leader Keir Starmer, both suggesting police resources should be prioritized for serious crimes.
Linehan, supported by the Free Speech Union, intends to pursue legal action against the Met for wrongful arrest. Toby young, General Secretary of the Free Speech Union, stated lawyers have been instructed to sue the police, seeking an apology and financial compensation, arguing linehan “should never have been interviewed” and his arrest was excessive.
