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(London) An English couple who were the subject of a police hate probe after complaining about the town's pro-gay policies will be paid $20,000 to end a discrimination suit alleging their civil rights had been violated.
After the Wyre Borough Council launched a diversity program to train its staff about LGBT issues and started a Lancashire wide scheme to promote gay friendly businesses and organizations Joe and Helen Roberts sent a letter to the council calling homosexuality "immoral". "If gay people made the decision not to think gay, they would not act gay," the letter said. "Whatever they are giving their attention to will eventually mould them into its image." Council officials turned the letter over to police who began a probe to determine if it violated British hate laws. The Roberts were taken by uniformed officers to a police station where they were read Britain's version of a Miranda warning and then questioned. No charges were ever laid. In June the Roberts filed suit against the council. The couple claimed that Wyre Council and Lancashire Constabulary interfered with their human rights to freedom of expression and freedom of religion under the Human Rights Act. The lawsuit also claimed the council and the police were negligent and that police entered the Roberts' home by means of a "trick" and were therefore trespassers. The case was to have gone to court in January but in an out of court settlement the couple agreed to drop the lawsuit in return for a public apology from the police and council and a cash settlement of $20,000 which Joe Roberts said would be given to a conservative Christian group that opposes homosexuality. "The decision to send the officers was made after consideration," the Lancashire Police apology said. " However, on reflection, we do believe that further inquiries should have been made before they were deployed. Had those inquiries been undertaken then we accept it is very likely that our approach would have been different and the officers would not have been deployed. "We understand the distress you felt at, and following, the visit from the police officers, and we regret that. We fully accept that we now know that you never committed or threatened any crime." The council apology said, "We recognize this was a traumatic incident for you and are writing to express our regret and apologize for the way in which this matter was handled." Source: 365gay.com |
