West Yorkshire Police receive complaint after video shows autistic girl being arrested in Leeds

The video shows a girl being arrested on suspicion of a homophobic public order offence Credit: @nikitasnow84/TikTok

Police say they are assessing a complaint over the arrest of a teenager which is shown on a TikTok video.

The video, which was posted by her mother, shows two officers in the hallway of the family's home, while the girl sits in a corner next to a cupboard.

A woman, believed to be the woman filming, can be heard telling police that she is autistic.

The officers then take the teenager out of the property and detain her.

West Yorkshire Police said they received calls from the girl's family in the early hours of Monday 7 August reporting that she was intoxicated and putting herself at risk in Leeds city centre.

Officers then drove her home where the alleged comments were made.

The teenager was arrested on suspicion of a homophobic public order offence, later interviewed with an appropriate adult and then released on bail.

The force confirmed on Friday 11 August that having reviewed the evidence they are not taking any further action.

West Yorkshire Police Assistant Chief Constable Oz Khan said: "We recognise the significant level of public concern that this incident has generated, and we have moved swiftly to fully review the evidence in the criminal investigation which has led to the decision to take no further action.

“Without pre-empting the outcome of the ongoing review of the circumstances by our Professional Standards Directorate, we would like to reassure people that we will take on board any lessons to be learned from this incident.

“We do appreciate the understandable sensitivities around incidents involving young people and neurodiversity and we are genuinely committed to developing how we respond to these often very challenging situations.”

West Yorkshire Police’s Professional Standards Directorate is continuing to carry out a review of the circumstances after receiving a complaint in relation to the incident.

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