Polish boy in Liverpool detained after theft allegation
A 13-year-old Polish boy was taken barefoot into police custody in Liverpool after being accused of theft, while his mother was arrested when she tried to remain with her son. Police later reviewed CCTV footage and established that no burglary had taken place.
The incident occurred on 27 July in the Netherton area of Liverpool and was publicised by Polish politician Rafal Mekler, leader of Confederation in Lublin. He said police had arrived to question the boy, Wojtek, after local Nigerian residents accused him of stealing.
The boy’s mother refused to leave her underage son alone with an officer, leading to a confrontation. Video shared by Mekler shows an officer repeatedly pushing the woman, including towards her face, before using pepper spray against her.
She was subsequently handcuffed and arrested on suspicion of a public-order offence. Her 13-year-old son was then taken to a police vehicle without shoes or socks.
“The police did not allow the boy to take his shoes and socks. The video shows him being taken to the patrol car barefoot. The family claims that an officer broke his wrist during the detention and provided photographs from the hospital,” Mekler wrote.
Family says police blocked them from following
Mekler said numerous officers arrived at the scene, some of them armed. Police allegedly blocked the car belonging to the boy’s father and later prevented a neighbour from following the patrol vehicle to find out where the child was being taken.
As a result, the parents initially did not know where their son had been taken. British neighbours of the Polish family also came outside and expressed anger over the way the family was being treated.
Footage of the confrontation quickly circulated on social media. The images of the officer pushing and spraying the boy’s mother, together with video showing Wojtek being taken away barefoot, triggered criticism both online and among local residents. Merseyside Police subsequently confirmed the incident and reviewed CCTV footage. Officers established that no burglary had taken place.
The Polish family said the allegation originated from a Nigerian family living in local social housing. Their 13-year-old son had reportedly spent time at the Polish family’s home before Wojtek’s father banned him from visiting because of repeated alleged thefts.
According to the family, the teenager reacted angrily, banged on their door, made threats and later accused Wojtek of theft. The accusation that brought police to the house was ultimately not supported by the CCTV footage.
Police handling of the case draws criticism
The case has raised questions over why officers acted so forcefully before verifying whether a crime had taken place, why a 13-year-old child was taken away without being allowed to put on shoes, and why his mother was arrested after trying to stay with him.
Further criticism has focused on why the boy’s father and neighbours were prevented from following the police vehicle when the family did not know where Wojtek was being taken. The family has also alleged that the boy suffered a wrist injury during the detention.
Mekler presented the incident as another example of what he considers unequal treatment by British law enforcement. The fact that police subsequently established there had been no burglary has intensified scrutiny of how the initial complaint was handled.
For the Polish family, the most serious questions now concern the treatment of a minor whose alleged offence was not confirmed, the use of force against his mother and the circumstances in which he was removed from his home barefoot.
