Northumbria Police in the UK have issued an apology over their handling of an investigation into Linzi Smith, a Newcastle United fan who was banned by the football club after expressing gender-critical views online.
The police acknowledged that key aspects of their investigation into allegations that Smith had committed a hate crime were flawed. While they found no misconduct among officers, they admitted that their approach to handling her case, and similar hate crime reports in the future, needed improvement through additional training.
Smith, 34, was accused of “transphobia” by a complainant who claimed that transgender individuals would feel unsafe sitting near her at matches. A vocal advocate for lesbian, bisexual, and women’s rights, she had posted on social media that pro-transgender activism was homophobic, arguing it sought to “trans the gay away” and suggesting that some transgender individuals suffered from mental illness.
After Newcastle United compiled a dossier on her online activity and submitted it to Northumbria Police, Smith was interviewed under caution. She described her shock at learning she was the subject of a hate crime investigation and was summoned for questioning in November 2023. Although told the interview was voluntary, she was warned she could be arrested if she attempted to leave, an experience she described as leaving her in a “state of terror.”
According to the Telegraph, Smith further stated that the investigation left her feeling “embarrassed and humiliated” as she was required to justify her biological sex and sexual orientation to officers. Even after being informed that no further action would be taken following the two-hour interview, she received a letter stating the investigation would remain open pending new evidence. She said this left her feeling as though she was being “stalked under the respectable guise of a police inquiry.”
In her formal complaint, Smith accused the force of discrimination based on her gender-critical beliefs, which assert that gender identity cannot be separated from biological sex. She also said she felt distressed and intimidated by the officers involved in the case.
Smith claims that Newcastle United justified her suspension from attending matches based on the police investigation into her social media activity. Northumbria Police, however, denied any involvement in the club’s decision, stating they had no power to intervene.
Now, in a letter addressing Smith’s complaints, the force has apologized. The statement read: “The effect of these events to your personal life is neither disputed, nor taken lightly. The investigating officer extends sincere apologies for the situation you have found yourself in.”
Police admitted errors in the case, particularly an officer’s reference to a supposed “hypothetical victim” of Smith’s alleged hate crime, despite there being no actual victim. They acknowledged: “You are correct in stating that [the officer] referred to a hypothetical victim and that the offense for which you were interviewed requires a victim. There was no victim in this crime and questions surrounding a hypothetical victim are not applicable to the offense of Malicious Communication. The service provided by Northumbria Police was not acceptable.”
Additionally, the police admitted that officers had failed to assess properly whether a crime had even occurred before bringing Smith in for questioning. This, they conceded, represented “a failure to consider the points to prove” and was part of a broader pattern of mishandling in her case.
