An independent oversight board that investigates complaints of police misconduct in England says several officers will face disciplinary action for administering a strip search on a 15-year-old Black girl at a northeast London school.
In a statement released on Thursday, The Independent Office for Police Conduct, or IOPC, said the search involved “the exposure of intimate body parts” of the girl, identified as Child Q. The incident happened at a school in Hackney in December 2020.
Four Metropolitan police officers responded to the school after a report that Child Q had marijuana in her possession. Her clothing and belongings were already searched by school staff, who couldn’t locate any drugs.
When police arrived, “the child was subject to a search involving the removal of clothing by two female officers under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, while two male officers and school staff remained outside the room where the search took place,” the IOPC said. They didn’t find anything. The Guardian reports Child Q was on her period at the time.
Three of the four officers were accused of discriminating against the child due to her race. It is also alleged that the officers’ decision to conduct the search was “inappropriate,” accused them of failing to get green light from a supervisor, and that there wasn’t an “appropriate adult” present during the incident, according to the IOPC.
The fourth officer was recommended to attend a disciplinary meeting regarding the fact that an appropriate adult wasn’t there during the search. In addition, the IOPC suggested that the police department send a letter apologizing to Child Q and her family.
Per The Guardian, a report released earlier this year said that Black children are significantly more likely to be strip-searched by law enforcement compared to their white counterparts. A representative for Child Q told the outlet that the family embraced the board’s announcement but said that it is not closure because they had to wait two years for the decision and “they must wait further still for the disciplinary proceedings to conclude.”
The incident prompted people to protest in support of the teen. Advocates called out authorities’ “abuse of power,” not only in this case but against Black women and girls in general.
The IOPC’s investigation kicked off in 2021 after Child Q and her family issued a complaint to the Metropolitan Police. It sparked the board to look into five other instances where children were stripped and searched in police custody, Director Steve Noonan said. Only one of those investigations has yet to be concluded.
“Any person subject to a search involving the exposure of intimate body parts is in a vulnerable position, and they are entitled to be treated with respect and courtesy,” Noonan continued. “While strip searches can be necessary for the safety of both the subjects and officers, it’s important that it’s only carried out when absolutely essential, particularly when used on children.”
The IOPC also calls on the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the College of Policing to review and modify the guidance, policies, and training regarding “the exposure of intimate body parts.”
