Hertfordshire Constabulary has now admitted to the unlawful arrest of parents Maxie Allen and Rosalind Levine.
In January, Maxie Allen and Rosalind Levine were arrested at home by six uniformed officers in front of their young daughter. Their crime? Complaining about their child’s school in a parents’ WhatsApp group.
It appears that sending WhatsApp messages expressing concern about your child’s school can now land you eight hours in a cell.
Allen and Levine were reported to the police by their daughter’s school — Cowley Primary School — and later questioned on suspicion of harassment, malicious communications and causing a nuisance on school property. The school also accused the parents of launching a social media campaign against certain members of staff. The reality is they were just concerned about their daughter who is neurodivergent and suffers from epilepsy.
The case attracted national attention and became another egregious example of police overreach in the UK. It is therefore welcome news that Hertfordshire Constabulary has finally admitted to the wrongful arrest of Allen and Levine and agreed to a £20,000 compensation payout. The force’s lawyers stated that the criteria for arrest under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act were not met, rendering the arrest unlawful.
This outcome was secured with the help of the Free Speech Union, which provided Maxie and Rosalind with a team of lawyers and paid all their legal fees.
The £20,000 payout is significantly higher than standard compensation awards but is, according to Hertfordshire Police, intended as a gesture of good faith reflecting their desire to conclude this shameful and embarrassing episode.
Dr Bryn Harris, Chief Legal Counsel at the Free Speech Union, said: “The next step, for Hertfordshire and other forces across the country, is to learn what went wrong and never repeat this mistake. A good place to start would be a recognition that the criminal law is not a tool for protecting delicate feelings or wounded reputations, and officers must not allow it to be abused in this way.”
While the Free Speech Union is delighted that Allen and Levine have been exonerated, it must now be seen as a watershed moment. This is the second time this year the FSU has helped to win £20,000 in compensation from the police after they arrested someone for hurty words. When’s it going to stop?
Maxie Allen is a Liberal Democrat Councillor in Hertfordshire and a Times Radio presenter. He said: “The police should not be a tool for public authorities to close down legitimate comment and scrutiny.”
He is absolutely right.