Police shut Wiley probe over ‘jurisdictional issues’, as case pursued ‘abroad’

Police have dropped a probe into grime artist Wiley’s antisemitic social media tirade, because he wasn’t in the UK at the time.

The Campaign Against Antisemitism said UK authorities closed the investigation due to “jurisdictional issues”.

While not confirming which country the artist was in when he launched his rant, CAA said it “has already appointed lawyers in that jurisdiction and we will pursue justice abroad”.

This comes after Wiley, whose real name is Richard Kylea Cowie, was banned from social media platforms Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and TikTok, for engaging in a series of allegedly antisemitic posts and messages in July. These included linking Jews to the KKK, referencing “Jewish power” and threatening to come to Golders Green to confront critics.

He was dropped by his music manager and investigated by police at the time, while  Jewish groups launched a 48-hour walk-out of social media platforms, protesting companies’ inaction over his content.

Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “At this stage we are able to confirm that the Metropolitan Police Service has closed its investigation due to jurisdictional issues and that we have instructed lawyers abroad to pursue this matter. 

“When antisemites incite hatred against Jews, we will pursue them, including across borders if necessary. We will provide further details at a later date.”

A spokesperson for The Community Security Trust, which confirmed in July that Wiley was not in the UK when he engaged in his rant, said: “It is one of the loopholes of the internet that a British person can post so many antisemitic tweets and posts, clearly intended for a British audience and doing so much damage to community relations in this country, but because he was not in the UK at the time he can’t be prosecuted here.

“We are grateful to the Police for their investigation but this is another example of why this country urgently needs stronger and more relevant laws governing online hate.”