Why the man arrested in the Liverpool parade crash can't be named
Since news of the horrific incident in Liverpool's city centre broke last night (May 26), social media has been rife with speculation surrounding the identity of the driver and the circumstances which led up to a car driving into a crowd at Liverpool FC's title parade.
Merseyside Police has already confirmed that the man suspected of being the driver of the car is a 53-year-old white British man from the local area.
However, as no one has yet been charged in relation to the incident, the police have not yet released the man's name - and the press are also restricted in identifying him as well.
READ MORE: LIVE: Large cordon in place with police and paramedics at scene - latest updates
READ MORE: All we know about Liverpool parade car crash suspect so far
In a landmark ruling in 2022, the Supreme Court held that, as a legitimate starting point, a person under criminal investigation has a reasonable expectation of privacy, the Liverpool Echo reports.
Therefore, any persons under criminal investigation - even if they have been arrested - retain the right not to be named by the press until charges are brought.
When someone is charged, the police usually release their name, street address and age, as the details are part of their legal identity and prevent people with the same name being wrongly identified as the suspect.
The singer Sir Cliff Richard was awarded substantial damages after he took the BBC to the High Court for their coverage of a police raid on his home in 2014.
Richard was never arrested or charged but the fact that he was being investigated was made public by the broadcaster, who filmed shots of police at his home in Berkshire from a helicopter flying overhead.
Richard eventually won £210k in damages but the final bill for the BBC, including legal costs, was an estimated £1.9 million.
After a person has been charged with an offence, the press are free to report on their name, age and address. But any information that could influence a jury in the event of a future trial taking place must not be published, in order to protect all defendants' right to a fair trial.
This includes information such as any previous convictions they may have, as well as any information suggesting guilt or 'bad character'.
It also explains why in some instances, the comments sections of news organisations may be switched off for stories covering ongoing trials, as social media comments could be read by potential jurors and could influence their verdict.
Such material is only allowed to be published after a defendant has pleaded guilty to an offence, or they have been convicted by a jury.
The incident happened at around 6pm yesterday, Monday, May 26 when the streets of the city centre were full of hundreds of thousands of Reds' supporters.
The Liverpool players had been on a 15km bus tour of the city which finished with spectacular scenes on The Strand in the city centre.
A press conference last night confirmed that 47 people in total were injured in the incident, with 27 of them being taken to hospital. Four of the injured were children.
Two people, including of the children, sustained serious injuries. Restaurant Riva Blu was turned into a makeshift emergency room, with paramedics spotted treating people inside.
Merseyside Police assistant chief constable Jenny Sims said: "Extensive enquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances leading up to the collision and it is vital that people do not speculate or spread misinformation on social media. I know that people will understandably be concerned by what has happened tonight.
"What I can tell you is that we believe this to be an isolated incident and we are not currently looking for anyone else in relation to it. The incident is not currently being treated as terrorism.
"We would ask that people refrain from sharing distressing footage from the incident online and please share any information directly with our investigation team."
Chief fire officer Nick Searle, from Mersey Fire and Rescue Service, added: "Firstly, our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected by this incident this evening. Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service were informed at 6.07pm, we immediately mobilised 3 fire engines to Water Street and were in attendance in 4 minutes.
"On arrival the crews were met with numerous injured people and 4 persons trapped under a vehicle. Our crews rapidly lifted the vehicle, removed people from beneath and passed them to our ambulance colleagues.
"We then worked with emergency service partners to ensure casualties received medical treatment and transport to hospital as quickly as possible. My fire crews will maintain a visible and reassuring presence in the coming days and weeks."
Liverpool council leader Cllr Liam Robinson said: "I would appeal for people please not to share the horrifying footage of the incident on social media - please if you have information forward it to Merseyside Police to help them with their investigation.
"We won't be commenting any further but will provide relevant updates as and when we know more and it is appropriate to. Once again, our hearts go out to all those affected.
"Liverpool is a city that has a proud history of coming together and supporting each other during challenging times. I've no doubt that will again be the case over the coming days and weeks."
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