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Police send four police officers to tackle boy, 11, who called schoolmate 'gay'
Last updated at 10:52am on 02.04.07When two policemen turned up unannounced at Alan Rawlinson's home asking to speak to his young son, the company director feared something serious had happened.
So he was astounded when the officers detailed 11-year-old George's apparent crime - calling one of his schoolfriends 'gay'.
They said primary school pupil, George, was being investigated for a 'very serious' homophobic crime after using the comment in an e-mail to a 10-year-old classmate.
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'Terrified': George Rawlinson with his mother Gaynor, who is a magistrate
But now his parents have hit out at the police, who they accused of being heavy-handed and pandering to political correctness.
"It is completely ridiculous," Mr Rawlinson said.
"I thought the officers were joking at first, but they told me they considered it a very serious offence.
"The politically correct brigade are taking over. This seemed like a huge waste of resources for something so trivial as a playground spat."
Cheshire police launched the investigation last month after a complaint from the parents of the 10-year-old younger boy who received George's e-mail.
They said their son had been called a 'gay boy' and were concerned that there was more to the comment than playground banter and that their child was being bullied.
As a consequence, two officers were sent to the boys' school, Farnworth Primary, in Widnes, Cheshire, to speak to the headteacher who directed them to the Rawlinsons' home in nearby St Helens, Merseyside.
George told his parents that the comment was in no way meant to be homophobic and that he had simply been using the word gay instead of 'stupid'.
Mr Rawlinson, 41, who runs his own business, and whose wife, Gaynor, also 41, is a magistrate, said his son was terrified when the police arrived at their home.
He feared he was going to be arrested and locked up in a cell because of it, he added. "I feel very aggrieved about this," Mr Rawlinson, who has lodged a formal complaint against the police, said.
"We are law-abiding citizens who have paid taxes all our lives.
"I've constantly contacted police about break-ins at my business and never get a suitable response.
"George was really upset, he thought he was going to be locked up. This just seemed like a huge waste of resources for something so trivial."
Inspector Nick Bailey, of Cheshire police, said no further action would be taken against George. However, he said the force had been obliged to record the incident as a crime and that they had dealt with it in a 'proportionate' manner.
"The parents of the boy believed it was more sinister that just a schoolyard prank," Inspector Bailey said.
"We were obliged to record the matter as a crime and took a proportionate and maybe old fashioned view.
"Going to the boy's house was a reasonable course of action to take. This e-mail message was part of some behaviour which had been on going.
"The use of the word 'gay' would imply that it was homophobic, but we would be hard pushed to say it was a homophobic crime.
"This boy has not been treated as an offender."
This is a latest in a series of incidents where police have been accused of heavy handedness for interviewing or threatening children with prosecution for seemingly trivial crimes.
Last October the Daily Mail revealed how 14-year-old Codie Scott was arrested and thrown in a police cell for almost four hours after she was accused of racism for refusing to sit next to a group of Asian pupils in her class.
Teachers reported the youngster, from Harrop Fold High School in Worsley, Greater Manchester, after she claimed it was impossible for her to get involved in the class 'discussion' because only one of the Asian pupils spoke English.
She had her fingerprints and DNA taken but was eventually released without charge.
The incident followed that of a 15-year-old boy from Burnley, Lancashire, who was arrested, thrown in a police cell, hauled before the courts and landed with a criminal record simply for throwing a snowball at a car.
The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was prosecuted under a little used 160-year-old law last March, and fined £100 in a case which provoked a public outcry.
Reader views (10)
In my force a sergeant made several homophobic comments towards a member of staff. The member of staff resigned and the sergeant was moved.
My force won't accept that bullying goes on within the force.
- Paul, UK
This kid is a bully. It doesn't look like he's learned his lesson either. It is not appropriate to bully other children, whether homophobic or not. The government has signalled that cracking down on bullying is important and an increasing priority. This kid and parents are just hiding behind prejudice and semantics. Surely it is very serious if the boy bullied is driven out of school or his personal and academic life is threatened. There is another side to this story. I think this was entirely appropriate the police have spoken to him.
- David, London
I agree that the Police were doing their job, the 'innocent' involved obviously thought that he was above the system only this time he was caught red handed. Bring back some traditional values of respect. This lad has no remorse in this picture and neither does his mother. Thank goodness he was stopped now as who knows what depths we would have sunk to next. Sounds like he has had his own way for far too long AND knows it!
I have paid taxes all my life too... you're not the only ones!
- Jg, London
Having been bullied for many years at school with 'gay' taunts, and been left with the scars mentally from it, I have no sympathy for this child or his mother. The mother’s argument that he actually meant 'stupid' by the term 'gay boy' is supposed to make it all better - he is a bully and very mean and his mother should be embarrassed not make him out to be an innocent.
Bullying can be tragic and can effect people’s lives long after leaving school.
- Lisa, Guildford
Aha thats how it works... so if you have a break in, or are attacked, just report that you were called "gay" and you will get a immediate Police reponse rather than a crime number over the phone... amazing.
- Mh, Kent, UK
Perhaps the police should try and keep up with the linguistic shifts that occur very rapidly in youth culture. I was recently explaining to a young relative how a car loses up to a third of its value when its driven off the forecourt for the first time. Her response, "That's gay". Unless she's suggesting that cars are homosexual, the word gay does indeed mean foolish or stupid.
I've recently had a great amount of trouble with a gang of children breaking bricks off my garden wall. When I reported it to the police, I got little or no response. Maybe I should tell the police they called me gay and get them locked up.
- Tobin, Andover
Many children now use the term 'gay' as an insult. If this makes the little 'innocent' think twice next time it was a job well done.
- Michael, London
While I have little sympathy for the boy or his parents (why are they not monitoring the e-mail web use of their 10 year old child?), I am more bothered that the reaction of the parents of the boy that recieved the e-mail was to go to the police.
Unless there is more to this, why, as adults, could they not first seek out the other parents and discuss it with them?
Definately living in a world now where the children behave as adults and the adults as children.
- Md, London, UK
Look at him sitting there as if butter wouldn't melt. He is guilty of menacing e-mail's and I think was dealt with appropriately. All too often we hear of children being bullied and then committing suicide, and we critisize the authorities for not acting sooner. This time the authorities have acted! I bet that stops him from doing it in the future. Oh, and I also believe his parents are to blame for his actions. His mum is sitting there with her hand on his shoulder like "he's" the victim and his dad's talking about complaint's against the police. Bah Codswallop!
- Teri, Essex
Brats who throw snow balls at cars deserve to be dealt with harshly.
And the fact hat someone has "paid taxes all their lives" can have no bearing on the matter at hand.
- Matt, Shropshire, UK
