Two police officers who strip-searched black schoolgirl taken off frontline duties

Two Metropolitan Police officers involved in the ‘traumatic’ strip search of a 15-year-old black pupil have been removed from frontline duties.

The search took place at the girl’s school in Hackney, east London, in 2020.

During the ordeal, her intimate body parts were exposed and she was asked to take off her sanitary towel.

She had been removed from an exam prior to the search.

The 15-year-old, referred to as Child Q, had been suspected of carrying cannabis – but no drugs were found.

Last night, it was confirmed the two female officers involved in the incident had been moved to desk work.

PC Marcus Barnett told a community meeting: ‘The officers that have conducted the search have been removed from frontline duties and they are working in another part of this Basic Command Unit they are not on the frontline duties.

‘They will be kept away from operational duty during the investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).’

In a statement the Met added: ‘They are not suspended or on formal restricted duties, but aren’t on local frontline duties at the moment.

‘The IOPC investigation will determine whether the officers have a case to answer for misconduct.’

Around 250 people joined last night’s virtual meeting.

The Independent reports detective superintendent Dan Rutland said the Met has ‘an issue’ with how the city’s children are treated.

He said: ‘I think we view inner London kids as adults, the issue we have in policing at the moment is that we view kids and we believe that kids in London are more resilient than they are.’

Child Q went from a ‘happy-go-lucky child’ to a ‘timid recluse who hardly speaks’ following what happened, her family said.

Lawyers representing the family accused Scotland Yard of ‘institutional racism and institutional sexism’.

Calls have been made for home secretary Priti Patel and London mayor Sadiq Khan to appoint a replacement for Cressida Dick who would ‘tackle’ such issues.

A Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review also found Child Q’s experiences were ‘unlikely to have been the same’ had she not been black.

Hundreds turned out at Stoke Newington Police Station last Friday in protest.

Speaking out for the first time about the case, the girl said that after everything she had been through ‘I know I am not alone’.

She added: ‘I want to thank the thousands of people across the world of all backgrounds who have offered me support – both publicly and through messages conveyed to my legal team – following everything I’ve been through.’

Scotland Yard has issued an apology and admitted the incident ‘should never have happened’.

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