Enhanced training recommended for PSNI officers after young autistic woman removed from shop
It follows an investigation into an incident in a CeX store in Lisburn in December when a
young autistic woman was physically removed from the premises by four police officers and her father.
Footage of the incident was posted online by the woman's older sister, Eileen Mitchell, and showed her being carried out of the CeX shop on Bow Street.
In the social media post, Mitchell said her younger sister wanted to buy a second-hand Thomas the Tank Engine DVD, which cost £2.
However, when the woman and her parents went to pay, they were told by a staff member that the till was already closed for the day and that the purchase couldn't be made.
Mitchell wrote that her younger sister 'didn't understand this and became very upset, crying in the shop'.
She added that the situation 'escalated' and 'the police were called'.
'Incidents like this shouldn't happen,' she wrote at the time.
'We need more compassion, better training for staff and authorities, and systems in place to protect those who can't advocate for themselves.'
The young woman's mother made a complaint to the Police Ombudsman, which centred on whether the officers complied with their training in respect of autism.
Her mother also questioned the effectiveness of the training they had received.
The Policing Ombudsman
said that its investigation 'identified no misconduct by the police officers involved'.
Advertisement
However, Nikki Davis, Director of Investigations with the Police Ombudsman's Office, said the incident was 'undoubtedly distressing' for the young woman and called for 'enhanced training'.
The Ombudsman said the young woman 'entered through half-closed shutters, the shop's tills were no longer operational and she was unable to buy a DVD'.
The non-verbal young woman was asked to leave, and from there the situation escalated and the police were called, said the Ombudsman.
It said that body worn video shows that the first two police officers 'made it clear that she needed to leave as the shop was closed, and that their preference was for her parents to remove her'.
It said that the young woman's father 'then tried to move her physically' and that officers 'became physically involved only after the young woman's father continued to experience difficulties managing on his own'.
However, it added that 'when reviewed in its entirety, the body worn video, together with CCTV footage, showed that the police officers who responded to the incident understood that the best approach was for her parents to encourage her to leave the shop'.
'When those efforts were unsuccessful, and their own attempts to escort the young woman from the shop also failed, the officers, along with her father, physically removed her.'
The incident lasted for around 18 minutes from officers entering the store and the Ombudsman said that 'their action was a last resort'.
The Ombudsman stated that while no breach of the PSNI code of ethics had been made, the incident 'exposed a gap in current PSNI training'.
As a result, it recommended that PSNI officers should receive 'enhanced training which equips them to engage with, and respond to, any autistic person, but especially a person who speaks few or no words and may communicate in other ways'.
The PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson welcomed the Ombudsman's report and said the incident presented a 'very difficult and complex set of circumstances for everyone involved'.
Henderson said that while there is training for front line officers in dealing with vulnerable members of the public, 'there is no specific input for front line officers on strategies for dealing with those they encounter who may be non-verbal'.
He said the PSNI will now 'consider how best to incorporate this element into future training'.
'Our officers are routinely called to challenging situations and as in this case we will always seek a patient approach when dealing with people with complex needs,' he added.
Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article.
Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.
Learn More
Support The Journal
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Irish Times
Serbian protesters and president trade ‘civil war' warnings after street clashes
Serbian officials said dozens of people were hurt in a second night of clashes between pro- and anti-government demonstrators and police, as the country's autocratic president and its student-led protest movement accused each other of trying to provoke a civil war. The violence on Tuesday and Wednesday nights sharply escalated tension between authorities loyal to president Aleksandar Vucic and protesters who have held months of peaceful rallies around Serbia, following the death of 16 people last November when part of a train station roof collapsed in the city of Novi Sad . Critics of Mr Vucic said the incident and its aftermath laid bare the corruption and cronyism that have flourished since he came to power 13 years ago. He rejects such allegations and claims – without offering evidence – that the protests are orchestrated by shadowy foreign forces that want to oust him and weaken Serbia. Interior minister Ivica Dacic said 27 police officers and dozens of civilians were hurt in fighting in Belgrade, Novi Sad and other towns and cities on Wednesday night. READ MORE He said police had stopped anti-government protesters attacking local offices of Mr Vucic's ruling Serbian Progressive Party and his own Socialist Party, and claimed that most of those injured were people defending the parties' premises. A riot police officer and an anti-government protester in Belgrade. Photograph:Anti-government protesters say the authorities have brought thugs and provocateurs on to the street to spark violence that they can use to try to discredit the demonstrators and justify a crackdown on opponents. 'Tonight, the authorities tried through clashes to finally provoke a civil war. The regime has long since decided ... that students and citizens are to blame,' the Blockade group of student protesters said on social media. 'The state leadership is no longer hiding behind phrases about dialogue; the president has launched a purge. The police once again protected the regime's loyalists, who were throwing stones and launching fireworks at demonstrators,' the group added. 'We won't allow them to keep destroying people's lives! Together, until victory – everyone on to the streets!' they wrote, before announcing another protest for Thursday evening. Mr Vucic praised the police for confronting what he called 'blockaders and thugs' and said the country had managed 'miraculously' to 'preserve peace and ... avoid a catastrophic' scenario. 'The state has enough strength. Tonight, some people thought they could kill people. We will stop any of their attempts to lead us into civil conflict,' he added. 'There will be no civil war in Serbia, nor will there be mercy for bandits and hooligans.' Mr Vucic tries to balance Serbia's foreign relations between the West, Russia and China, and portrays himself as a guarantor of stability in Serbia and the Balkans, which critics say allows his autocratic regime to escape criticism from European states.
Irish Times
6 days ago
- Irish Times
Woman (74) arrested in Belfast for wearing Palestine Action T-shirt released
A 74-year-old woman who was arrested for wearing a Palestine Action T-shirt in Belfast has been released. The woman was arrested at a protest in Belfast on Saturday. Police said she was arrested on suspicion of possession of an article that indicates support for a proscribed organisation in the Linenhall Street area of Belfast. It comes after the British government in July made expressing support for, or being a member of, Palestine Action a criminal offence under terrorism legislation. READ MORE In London, some 466 people were arrested for supporting the banned group after protesters gathered in Parliament Square on Saturday. In Belfast, videos shared online show a woman wearing a Palestine Action T-shirt being told by police officers she was being arrested on suspicion of 'possessing an article, namely a sign or T-shirt, that indicates support for Palestine Action'. Northern Ireland director of Amnesty International UK, Patrick Corrigan, criticised the protester's arrest as 'outrageous'. 'Peaceful protest is a basic human right,' he said. 'Many people are justifiably angered by the ongoing genocide in Gaza and are concerned about UK complicity. Under international human rights law, they have every right to voice their concerns. 'The individual who joined a Refugees Welcome rally in Belfast was not promoting violence, and it is wholly disproportionate for the PSNI to treat her as a terrorist. 'UK terrorism laws pose a serious risk to free expression. Rather than targeting peaceful protesters, the government should be taking swift and decisive measures to end Israel's genocide.' Belfast MLA Gerry Carroll condemned police action against pro-Palestine activists. He called on Executive Ministers to 'speak up for the right to protest' and dismiss any charges people may face. 'The whole world can see the mass starvation and daily executions carried out by Israel, yet the people being harassed in Belfast are those who stand up for Palestine,' Mr Carroll said. 'On the same day we saw far-right protesters with offensive and provocative signage, including pro-Israel items, the police took it upon themselves to arrest activists for having the temerity to wear items of clothing in solidarity action. 'The British government implemented a regressive clampdown with their vote to proscribe Palestine Action, without a single vote being cast in the local Assembly.' Sinn Féin MLA for West Belfast Pat Sheehan said the British government and PSNI's actions were 'disgraceful'. 'While Keir Starmer continues to enable the ongoing Israeli genocide and starvation of Gazans, he is also moving to silence ordinary, decent people for speaking out,' he said. 'Just yesterday, (Friday)Netanyahu announced his intention to seize Gaza City. 'Yet still, Starmer provides cover for this rogue regime, instead targeting activists for highlighting what should be a universal moral outrage. 'Like all previous censorship attempts by the British government, which is totally out of step with the wider public, this too will fail. 'Highlighting the ongoing devastation in Gaza is not a crime. The real crime is Israel's policy of ethnic cleansing and genocide, aided and abetted by the US and Britain.' The PSNI has been contacted for comment. - PA
Irish Times
02-08-2025
- Irish Times
‘She should answer for what she did': Trial begins of ex-Bangladeshi leader for crimes against humanity
Rakib Hossain was just 11 years old when, standing innocently on the streets of Dhaka in July last year, he was killed by a bullet to the head – fired allegedly by the police Hossain was one of more than 1,400 men, women and children killed in Bangladesh 's so-called July revolution, when hundreds of thousands across the country rose up in protest against the country's leader, Sheikh Hasina. Her attempts to crush the mass movement included deploying heavily armed police, who – with shoot-to-kill orders – fired live ammunition at civilians on the streets. Ultimately, the crackdown was unsuccessful and Ms Hasina was forced to flee Bangladesh in a helicopter on August 5th last year, as angry protesters marched towards her residence and the military refused to forcefully stop them. Now, just over a year since Rakib was killed, the trial of Ms Hasina will begin on August 3rd, as she stands accused of being responsible for the death of the 11-year-old and many others over those weeks. After months of evidence gathering, Bangladeshi prosecutors have charged her with crimes against humanity, including charges of order, incitement, complicity, conspiracy, and abetment of murder, torture and other inhuman acts. Her trial will be held before three judges of Bangladesh's international crimes tribunal (ICT); a court that Ms Hasina set up herself while in power. Ms Hasina will not be there. Since last August, she has been in India despite protests by the interim government leading Bangladesh. Multiple extradition requests for Ms Hasina have been ignored. With the possibility she would be given the death penalty if found guilty, few believe Ms Hasina will come back voluntarily. She has refused to be part of the proceedings except to plead not guilty, and has been given a state-appointed defence lawyer as she is being tried in absentia. In the days leading up to the trial, efforts have been made by Ms Hasina and her Awami League party to discredit it and the tribunal, denying the charges and claiming they had received no formal legal notices of them. In an open letter published on Friday, Ms Hasina described the protests that toppled her as a 'violent interruption of our hard-fought democracy' and promised to 'reclaim the institutions that were unlawfully seized'. Sheikh Hasina during her time as Bangladeshi prime minister in 2023. Photograph: Atul Loke/The New York Times Rakib's father, Abul Khayer, spoke of his anger that Ms Hasina would not be present in court. 'I want to see Hasina tried in person,' he said. 'She should face the families and answer for what she did. But India won't give her back. Everyone knows that.' A year since his son was killed, Mr Khayer said his grief had hardened into disillusionment and he expressed doubts that the tribunal would deliver true justice or accountability. After the toppling of Ms Hasina , a wave of optimism gripped Bangladesh, as an interim government led by Nobel prize-winner Muhammad Yunus was brought in with sweeping promises of democratic reform and accountability. But faith in the interim government has faded over the past year as many of the promised reforms have failed to materialise and Mr Yunus has struggled to bring the deteriorating law and order situation and attacks against minorities under control. With the country's first elections since the fall of Hasina due in February, Mr Khayer feared the trial would become politicised. 'Everyone has seen in the past how most often these kinds of cases have been used to gain political scores,' he said. 'The trials are dragged for years to serve people's political ambition.' Still, he insisted the trial should still go forward, if only to document the truth. 'I don't need her to sit in a dock to know what she did. She gave the orders. Everyone knows that. Let the world hear it.' For the many who saw their relatives and friends killed last July, the trial is a vital first step towards justice. While some senior government ministers and police officials were arrested, many in Hasina's regime fled the country and remain abroad. In an effort to make the trial as transparent as possible, much of it will be live streamed on television, except for moments where sensitive witnesses are testifying. Protesters call for prime minister Sheikh Hasina to resign during a demonstration in Dhaka, Bangladesh in August, 2024. Photograph: Munir Uz Zaman/AFP via Getty Images It is also just the beginning. Investigators are still working on bringing Ms Hasina to trial for other atrocities allegedly committed during her 15 years in power, including enforced disappearances and the killing, torture and mass incarceration of opponents and critics. Mohammad Tajul Islam, the chief prosecutor of the ICT, said the prosecution and investigation agency of the court had been 'working relentlessly' since September to find witnesses and gather evidence to bring Hasina to trial. He described it as a 'very challenging task, particularly because destruction of evidence and the involvement of a huge number of perpetrators'. Islam noted that some allegedly involved remained in positions of power, often making victims and witnesses reluctant to come forward. He said he was confident that the prosecution had a strong case to prove crimes against humanity were committed by Ms Hasina. Among the key witnesses will be her former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah al-Mamun, who has already pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against the former prime minister. While some have questioned whether Bangladesh's judicial system – which was systematically eroded under Ms Hasina – was capable of conducting a free and fair trial for Ms Hasina, Mr Islam said reforms had brought the ICT in line with international best practices. 'It is critical for accountability and the rule of law, and also for the victims who seek justice,' he said. 'Her intended absence from the trial should not shield her from justice.' Mohammad Arafat, who served as a senior minister in Ms Hasina's government and is also facing charges, called the tribunal a 'political show trial'. 'The Awami League categorically rejects the politically motivated charges brought against its leadership,' he said. 'I urge the international community to recognise this tribunal for what it is: a tool to criminalise political opposition and rewrite lawful governance as criminality.' Mubashar Hasan, a political scientist who was forced into exile after he was abducted and tortured and is now a researcher at Western Sydney University, was among those who said that in an 'ideal scenario' Ms Hasina would instead be put on trial at the international criminal court in The Hague. The Yunus-led interim government has already banned the Awami League party from taking part in the elections expected early next year, but critics have said this undermines the democratic nature of the polls, given that Awami League is still one of the country's largest parties. The election is expected to be swept by the Bangladesh Nationalist party, whose leadership suffered years of persecution under Ms Hasina. Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, the Islamist party which was banned under Ms Hasina, is also expected to do well, which has raised concerns about the rise of Islamic hardliners undermining the country's secular foundations. — The Guardian
