Rosalind Levine and Maxie Allen received a £20,000 payout from Hertfordshire Police after their arrest over a school WhatsApp row was deemed unlawful. The couple was detained for 11 hours on January 29, in front of their young daughter, on suspicion of harassment, malicious communications, and causing a nuisance on school property.
The arrest followed complaints from Cowley Hill Primary School regarding emails and criticisms shared by the couple in a parents' WhatsApp group. The dispute with the school had been ongoing for several months, resulting in the couple being banned from school premises, including attending their daughter Sascha's parents' evening.
Sascha has epilepsy, is neurodivergent, and registered disabled. The couple stated that the most critical message they could recall from the WhatsApp group was Ms.
Levine referring to a senior school figure as a "control freak." Hertfordshire Police initially defended the arrest but later admitted it was unlawful, acknowledging that the criteria for arrest under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act were not met. The force agreed to pay £10,000 to each of them.
Ms. Levine described the initial moments of the arrest as terrifying, fearing they were there to inform her of their daughter's death due to her epilepsy.
The couple expressed that the acknowledgment of the unlawful arrest was the most important aspect for them, serving as vindication for themselves and their family. They also highlighted the impact on their children, including their eldest daughter who had to move schools.
Hertfordshire Constabulary stated that while no officer misconduct was found, they accepted liability based solely on the legal test for the necessity of arrest not being met.
