Retired teacher’s ‘polite letter’ on abortion recorded as hate incident

A RETIRED teacher who wrote to a campaigner over a soap opera plotline on abortion has been told a ‘hate incident’ has been recorded against him.

Douglas Kedge, 85, said a ‘non-crime hate incident’ had been recorded by police, even though officers said his letter did not breach the law, was not malicious and was ‘very politely written’.

The former parish council chairman and school governor said he feared the incident might jeopardise his plans to volunteer as an English tutor at his local school in Sonning Common, near Reading, because it would be disclosed as part of enhanced checks required to work with children.

Mr Kedge, pictured, wrote to a woman leading a public protest against a storyline in Emmerdale in which a couple chose to abort their baby after it was diagnosed with Down’s syndrome.

He said he respected those who regarded having a child with the syndrome as a great privilege and joy, but defended others’ right to abort a foetus after such a diagnosis.

He said some ‘perfectly decent people’ took the view that they did not want to cope with ‘what could well be for them an appalling change in their lives’. Mr Kedge wrote that it was ‘disgraceful’ for the campaigner to suggest the storyline was ‘a deliberate attempt to perpetuate prejudice against Down’s syndrome children’. He later received a phone call from a police officer after the letter was reported as a hate crime. Mr Kedge said the police intervention had a ‘chilling effect’ on freedom of speech. He told The Times: ‘I’ve lived a fairly righteous life so to end up with a police record is appalling.

‘I was so shocked to receive the call from the officer, I presume they have got better things to do.’

In a letter to the College of Policing, Home Secretary Priti Patel has expressed concern that such incidents can ruin lives if they show up on enhanced vetting checks.