Spelling error sparks police terrorism investigation of schoolboy, 10
A 10-year-old British schoolboy meant to say in an English class exercise that he lived in a “terraced” house.
But he misspelled the word as “terrorist,” and teachers, not realizing that it was a simple spelling mistake, notified authorities under the 2015 Counter-Terrorism and Security Act. It requires educators to report suspected terrorist activity, according to BBC News and the Guardian.
An interview of the boy by Lancashire police, who also examined a family laptop during a visit to his home in December, apparently cleared the family, which is Muslim. However, they say the incident traumatised the boy and are seeking an apology from both police and school officials.
“They shouldn’t be putting a child through this,” an unidentified cousin told the Guardian. “He’s now scared of writing, using his imagination.”
Hat tip: Reuters
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