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| Child Q unsure she will 'feel normal again' after strip-search | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Child Q was strip-searched by police at her east London school in 2020 - demonstrators highlighted the incident while campaigning against institutional racism outside the BBC's HQ and elsewhere in 2022 | Child Q was strip-searched by police at her east London school in 2020 - demonstrators highlighted the incident while campaigning against institutional racism outside the BBC's HQ and elsewhere in 2022 |
| A teenager who was strip-searched by two Met Police officers has said she does not know if she is "going to feel normal again" after the officers were sacked. | |
| A disciplinary panel found the actions of trainee Det Con Kristina Linge and PC Rafal Szmydynski amounted to gross misconduct after the girl - known as Child Q - was searched at her school in Hackney, east London, in December 2020. | A disciplinary panel found the actions of trainee Det Con Kristina Linge and PC Rafal Szmydynski amounted to gross misconduct after the girl - known as Child Q - was searched at her school in Hackney, east London, in December 2020. |
| The black schoolgirl, who was wrongly suspected of possessing cannabis, was on her period and forced to expose her intimate parts while no appropriate adult was present. | The black schoolgirl, who was wrongly suspected of possessing cannabis, was on her period and forced to expose her intimate parts while no appropriate adult was present. |
| A third officer, PC Victoria Wray, was found to have committed misconduct for her role in the search and was given a final written warning. | A third officer, PC Victoria Wray, was found to have committed misconduct for her role in the search and was given a final written warning. |
| In a statement released via Bhatt Murphy Solicitors after the hearing, Child Q said: "Someone walked into the school, where I was supposed to feel safe, took me away from the people who were supposed to protect me and stripped me naked, while on my period. | |
| "I can't go a single day without wanting to scream, shout, cry or just give up. I don't know if I'm going to feel normal again. But I do know this can't happen to anyone, ever again." | |
| 'She's a changed person' | |
| The panel had heard that black schoolchildren were more likely to be treated as older and less vulnerable than their white peers. | The panel had heard that black schoolchildren were more likely to be treated as older and less vulnerable than their white peers. |
| However, neither age nor race was found to be a factor in the way 15-year-old Child Q was treated. | |
| At the end of May, new rules were due to come into effect that would mean any police officer proven to have committed gross misconduct would be sacked. | At the end of May, new rules were due to come into effect that would mean any police officer proven to have committed gross misconduct would be sacked. |
| Cdr Kevin Southworth said in a statement: "The experience of Child Q should never have happened and was truly regrettable. | Cdr Kevin Southworth said in a statement: "The experience of Child Q should never have happened and was truly regrettable. |
| "We have sincerely apologised to Child Q since this incident happened. Again, I am deeply sorry to Child Q and her family for the trauma that we caused her, and the damage this incident caused to the trust and confidence black communities across London have in our officers." | "We have sincerely apologised to Child Q since this incident happened. Again, I am deeply sorry to Child Q and her family for the trauma that we caused her, and the damage this incident caused to the trust and confidence black communities across London have in our officers." |
| Child Q's mother said in a statement: "Professionals wrongly treated my daughter as an adult and as a criminal and she is a changed person as a result. Was it because of her skin? Her hair? Why her? | |
| "After waiting more than four years I have come every day to the gross misconduct hearing for answers and although I am relieved that two of the officers have been fired I believe that the Metropolitan Police still has a huge amount of work to do if they are to win back the confidence of Black Londoners." | |
| The Met Police acknowledged organisational failings in the search of the girl | The Met Police acknowledged organisational failings in the search of the girl |
| During the hearing, held in south-east London, the search was described as unjustified, inappropriate, disproportionate, humiliating and degrading. | During the hearing, held in south-east London, the search was described as unjustified, inappropriate, disproportionate, humiliating and degrading. |
| It was instigated after the deputy safeguarding manager at the school called the police and said the child "smelt strongly of cannabis". | It was instigated after the deputy safeguarding manager at the school called the police and said the child "smelt strongly of cannabis". |
| Panel chair Cdr Jason Prins said the search "was improper and conducted without an appropriate adult". | Panel chair Cdr Jason Prins said the search "was improper and conducted without an appropriate adult". |
| He added that Child Q's position as a "vulnerable or a potentially exploited child was not adequately considered". | He added that Child Q's position as a "vulnerable or a potentially exploited child was not adequately considered". |
| "The potential effect of a 15-year-old going through puberty had not been considered," he said. | "The potential effect of a 15-year-old going through puberty had not been considered," he said. |
| Child Q - whose mother was not told about the search - felt "demeaned" and "physically violated" and did not give evidence at the four-week hearing because of the psychological effects the strip-search had on her, the panel heard. | |
| 'There's a level of fear' | 'There's a level of fear' |
| The panel was told that the officers failed to get authorisation at sergeant level or higher before they took action, which went against police policy. | The panel was told that the officers failed to get authorisation at sergeant level or higher before they took action, which went against police policy. |
| It was also alleged that no adequate concern was given to Child Q's age and sex, especially after she removed her sanitary towel. | It was also alleged that no adequate concern was given to Child Q's age and sex, especially after she removed her sanitary towel. |
| The Independent Office for Police Conduct said the decision to strip-search Child Q on suspicion of possessing a small amount of cannabis was "completely disproportionate". | The Independent Office for Police Conduct said the decision to strip-search Child Q on suspicion of possessing a small amount of cannabis was "completely disproportionate". |
| The panel heard that black people were disproportionately more likely to be stopped and searched by police. | The panel heard that black people were disproportionately more likely to be stopped and searched by police. |
| However, the panel did not accept an "inference" that the girl's race caused "less favourable treatment". | However, the panel did not accept an "inference" that the girl's race caused "less favourable treatment". |
| Details of Child Q's case were released in a safeguarding report in 2022, which said the search was unjustified and that racism was likely to have been a factor. | Details of Child Q's case were released in a safeguarding report in 2022, which said the search was unjustified and that racism was likely to have been a factor. |
| There were widespread protests about the girl's ordeal and calls for urgent action from the government. | There were widespread protests about the girl's ordeal and calls for urgent action from the government. |
| Tanya Obeng said for many black people there was a "level of fear" surrounding the police | Tanya Obeng said for many black people there was a "level of fear" surrounding the police |
| Tanya Obeng, who works as a therapist, took part in one of the demonstrations in Hackney about the strip-search. She said many black people did not trust the police. | Tanya Obeng, who works as a therapist, took part in one of the demonstrations in Hackney about the strip-search. She said many black people did not trust the police. |
| "There's a level of fear and I think for Caucasians, there's a level of safety. That is the disparity," she said. | "There's a level of fear and I think for Caucasians, there's a level of safety. That is the disparity," she said. |
| Reacting to the panel's findings, Prof Louise Owusu-Kwarteng, who teaches applied sociology at the University of Greenwich, said black children were often unfairly labelled at school. | Reacting to the panel's findings, Prof Louise Owusu-Kwarteng, who teaches applied sociology at the University of Greenwich, said black children were often unfairly labelled at school. |
| "It was almost like this escalation, automatically assuming that she had done something wrong without doing the due process," she said. | "It was almost like this escalation, automatically assuming that she had done something wrong without doing the due process," she said. |
| Sharon Adams, from Hackney, has a young daughter and still feels deeply upset by the way Child Q was treated. | Sharon Adams, from Hackney, has a young daughter and still feels deeply upset by the way Child Q was treated. |
| "They already had that perception of her and no matter what she would have said it just went out the window. She didn't have a voice in that moment," Ms Adams said. | "They already had that perception of her and no matter what she would have said it just went out the window. She didn't have a voice in that moment," Ms Adams said. |
| 'Catalyst for change' | 'Catalyst for change' |
| Cdr Southworth said in his statement that the force acknowledged there were organisational failings in the search of the girl. | Cdr Southworth said in his statement that the force acknowledged there were organisational failings in the search of the girl. |
| "Training to our officers around strip-search and the type of search carried out on Child Q was inadequate, and our oversight of the power was also severely lacking," he said. | "Training to our officers around strip-search and the type of search carried out on Child Q was inadequate, and our oversight of the power was also severely lacking," he said. |
| "This left officers, often young in service or junior in rank, making difficult decisions in complex situations with little information, support or clear resources to help their decision-making." | "This left officers, often young in service or junior in rank, making difficult decisions in complex situations with little information, support or clear resources to help their decision-making." |
| He said the search of Child Q had been a "catalyst for change" for the force and policing nationally. | He said the search of Child Q had been a "catalyst for change" for the force and policing nationally. |
| "While we should not have needed an incident such as Child Q to check our approach, it has absolutely led us to improving our processes and significantly reducing the number of these types of searches carried out." | "While we should not have needed an incident such as Child Q to check our approach, it has absolutely led us to improving our processes and significantly reducing the number of these types of searches carried out." |
| Children's commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza described the case as "shocking and profoundly disturbing". | Children's commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza described the case as "shocking and profoundly disturbing". |
| "Child Q's case has to be a line in the sand," she said. | "Child Q's case has to be a line in the sand," she said. |
| "The strip-searching of children should never form part of routine policing. It must only be used as a last resort if there is an immediate risk of harm to the child or others, with proper safeguards in place – children should never be put through such traumatic experiences without rigorous standards." | "The strip-searching of children should never form part of routine policing. It must only be used as a last resort if there is an immediate risk of harm to the child or others, with proper safeguards in place – children should never be put through such traumatic experiences without rigorous standards." |
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