Two Metropolitan Police officers who strip-searched a 15-year-old Black schoolgirl while she was on her period have been found guilty of gross misconduct.
The incident, which took place at a school in Hackney, east London, in 2020, saw the girl, known as Child Q, searched by officers who believed she was carrying cannabis.
A misconduct panel concluded that the strip search, which involved the exposure of her intimate parts, was ‘disproportionate, inappropriate and unnecessary.’
No drugs were found on the child.
The hearing also heard how the ordeal left the schoolgirl feeling ‘humiliated’ and ‘degraded.’
Trainee Detective Constable Kristina Linge and Police Constable Rafal Szmydynski were criticised for their handling of the situation and now could face being sacked from the force.
It was concluded that they failed to ensure that an appropriate adult was present during the strip search – as is required when a minor is involved – and for not seeking senior officer authorisation beforehand.
They also failed to provide the girl with a copy of the search record, in direct breach of police policy and training.
The misconduct panel concluded the officers did not respect the girl’s rights as a child and failed to give her the protection she was entitled to under the law.
A third officer, PC Victoria Wray, was also found to have committed misconduct for not questioning whether the search was proportionate or checking whether it had been properly authorised.
She too breached police standards relating to duties and responsibilities, authority, respect and courtesy, and following orders and instructions.
However, the panel did not find that any of the officers had breached standards relating to equality and diversity, or honesty and integrity.
Crucially, it concluded there was no evidence that race was a factor in their decisions, nor that the girl had been ‘adultified.’
The four-week disciplinary hearing was led by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and chaired by Met Commander Jason Prins.
In 2022 the incident sparked protests on the streets where they were heard chanting ‘no justice, no peace, abolish the police’ and ‘racist cops, out of schools’.
They also held up signs reading ‘no to racist police, justice for Child Q’ and ‘we say no to police in schools’, as well as Black Lives Matter banners.
They also chanted ‘shame on you’ at officers outside the station, footage on social media showed.
A protester from Catcalls of London, an Instagram-based awareness group, wrote messages in multi-coloured chalk on the pavement, with one reading: ‘Dearest Child Q, the systems designed to protect you failed you.
‘We see you. We stand here for you. We are with you.’
Commander Kevin Southworth said: ‘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.
‘While the officers involved did not act correctly, we acknowledge there were organisational failings. 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.
‘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.
‘What happened to Child Q was a catalyst for change both for the Met and for 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.
‘It’s crucial we get this right to ensure the impact on young people is minimised as far as possible.
‘Sadly, we know there are children in London being exploited to carry drugs and weapons for others as well as involved in criminality, so these types of searches have to remain within police powers. The work we have done since Child Q means we now have the right safeguards in place.’
