Following mounting pressure over the information they make public, police have been encouraged to consider disclosing the ethnicity and nationality of suspects charged in high-profile cases.
The interim policy from the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) aims to minimise the risk to public safety in areas where significant misinformation about an incident exists. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper praised the report as a “step forward,” adding that the government and the public want "more transparency."
The move comes after authorities were accused of concealing the identities of two men, reported to be Afghan asylum seekers, who were charged with the alleged rape of a 12-year-old boy in Warwickshire.
A Push for Transparency 📄
The report updates the College of Policing's professional guidance for media relations. The initiative was launched following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the Home Office in response to “public worries” and to ensure police procedures are “fit for purpose in an age of rapid information dissemination.”
The NPCC said that decisions on releasing such information will remain with individual police forces, who must take greater administrative and ethical considerations into account. A suspect's immigration status is a matter for the Home Office, not the police. A Home Office spokesperson praised the new policy, stating the public and police forces need “better information on when, why, and how data is released.” They added that in future cases, “where it is appropriate to do so, the Home Office will authorise the release of relevant supporting immigration data.”
Police Minister Dame Diana Johnson said that in most cases, the government will expect police to release this information. Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, she said the decision would be a matter for the police and the CPS, but that “we want them to be as transparent as possible.” She insisted that the disclosure of such information would not prejudice a fair trial. The government has asked the Law Commission to investigate how more information about defendants can be released without impacting criminal proceedings.
Inconsistent Precedents and "True Consequences"
Currently, nothing in the College of Policing's policy prevents police from disclosing details about the nationality or ethnicity of a person who has been charged. However, there is no specific guidance that it should be given, which has led to inconsistent approaches in recent cases.
In May, Merseyside Police were quick to announce that a man arrested after a public incident was white and British, in order to quash false rumours of a terrorist attack.
Conversely, the same force chose not to release details about Axel Rudakubana, the man sentenced to life for the murders of three children in Southport last summer. Misinformation surrounding that case was deemed at least partially responsible for the riots that occurred across England between 30 July and August 2024.
Deputy Chief Constable Sam de Reya, the NPCC's lead for communications, referred to the riots as the “true consequences” of a vacuum of official information. “We need to make sure our processes are appropriate in this era of social media speculation, where news can travel quickly across a number of channels,” she said.
A "Damned If You Do" Dilemma
Reform UK accused Warwickshire Police of a "cover-up" after they did not reveal the immigration status of the suspects in the Nuneaton case. The police said they had simply followed official guidance, which did not include releasing such details.
While it is hoped the updated guidance will prevent misinformation from spreading, some officers fear it will put them under pressure to reveal suspects' ethnicity and nationality in every case, which could inflame tensions.
Former Met Police Chief Superintendent Dal Babu warned of the “unintended consequences” of the new advice, which he said could lead to more online speculation if information isn't released. “The danger is that there will be a compulsion for police to release details on every single occasion,” he told the Today programme. “I have a lot of sympathy for my former police colleagues because they’re damned if they do, and damned if they don't.”
