Prosecutors ‘hampered’ the police response to the Southport riots by allowing fake news to spread, MPs have said.
Police were put in a ‘very difficult position’ due to ‘regrettable’ and ‘inconsistent advice’ from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
This prevented officers from revealing details about Axel Rudakubana’s religion, according to a report.
The Home Affairs Select Committee said the lack of information published in the wake of the murders of Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Alice da Silva Aguiar ‘created a vacuum where misinformation was able to grow’.
The report, to be published on Monday April 14, concerns the police response to the riots following the murders at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29.
It revealed violence broke out after false claims that the killer was a Muslim illegal immigrant received more than 30million impressions on social media.
The 246 protests, counter-protests and incidents of disorder across the country resulted in 1,804 arrests and 1,072 criminal charges.
MPs said: ‘Merseyside Police were put in a very difficult position given legal restrictions on communicating the identity of the Southport suspect and the need to withhold certain information in order to protect the trial.
According to a new Home Affairs Select Committee report, police were put in a ‘very difficult position’ due to ‘regrettable’ and ‘inconsistent advice’ from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) which stopped officers from revealing details about Axel Rudakubana’s (pictured) religion
Violence broke out after false claims that the killer was a Muslim illegal immigrant received more than 30million impressions on social media
MPs found there was no evidence of ‘two-tier policing’ in Merseyside officers’ handling of the violence. Pictured: Merseyside police chief constable Serena Kennedy providing an update on the investigation on October 29 2024 at Merseyside Police Headquarters, Liverpool
‘The inconsistent advice from the CPS over the publication of information about the suspect’s religion was particularly regrettable and hampered the police response.’
Committee chairman Dame Karen Bradley said: ‘The criminal justice system will need to ensure its approach to communication is fit for the social media age.’
And MPs found there was no evidence of ‘two-tier policing’ in Merseyside officers’, led by Chief Constable Serena Kennedy, handling of the violence.
They said: ‘Those participating in disorder were not policed more strongly because of their supposed political views but because they were throwing missiles, assaulting police officers and committing arson.’
Chief Constable BJ Harrington, national police operations lead, said the force was ‘pleased that the report robustly disagrees with the notion of two tier policing’.
A Home Office spokesman said: ‘Social media has put well-established principles around how we communicate after attacks like this under strain, and we must be able to tackle misinformation head on.
‘That is why we have asked the Law Commission to carry out a review into the rules around Contempt of Court.’
A Crown Prosecution Service spokesperson said: ‘We supported the committee to scrutinise the process by which information was shared with the public following the appalling attack in Southport last year which led to the summer disorder.
‘While it is clear that during simultaneous, fast-moving discussions between Merseyside Police and CPS colleagues at local and national levels on July 31st, different views were expressed on the release of information about the suspect’s religion, there was no suggestion from CPS that this information risked prejudice to the trial. Merseyside Police decided not to issue this information, and the matter was never revisited by them with the CPS.
‘The Media Protocol, which provides guidance for how prosecution material in criminal trial proceedings is shared with the media, played no part in this decision making and we are writing to the Committee to clarify this point. Work to update this Protocol began before the disorder and we are working to publish an updated version later this year.
‘Alongside this, we support proposals for law reform which will make the application of contempt law clearer and simpler – especially when linked to heightened matters of general public interest such as public safety or national security. We have responded to the Law Commission’s supplementary consultation in full.’