Over 600 children forced to endure 'intrusive and traumatic' nudity scans by London Metropolitan Police in two years, black boys disproportionately targeted A number indicates that the
According to data obtained by the Children's Commissioner from Scotland Yard, about 650 people between the ages of 10 and her 17 years old have been strip-screened by officers of the unit between 2018 and 2020. I was.
His 58% of these children were described by officers as black, and more than 95% were boys.
After the Child Q scandal came to light in March, Rachel de Souza, the head of the Children's Commission, demanded this figure.
A 15-year-old schoolgirl was searched naked by police while she was on her period after she was wrongfully accused of carrying cannabis at school.
A search by a Metropolitan Police Department officer for the woman took place in 2020 without another adult present and knew she was menstruating, a protection report revealed.
A study conducted by the City & Hackney Safeguarding Children Partnership (CHSCP) found that strip searches should never have taken place and were unfair, and that racism "may have been an influencing factor." is high,” he concluded.
Four Metropolitan Police Department officers are being investigated by the Independent Police Action Service (IOPC) for alleged serious misconduct in connection with the incident.
Demonstrators protested search for naked black girl in March
(PA Wire)
Scotland Yard apologized, saying it "shouldn't have happened".
Law firm Bat Her Murphy said in her March that a teenage girl had filed a civil suit against the Met and her school, ``to make sure this doesn't happen to other kids again. He announced that he would get a firm commitment to do so.
Since then, the IOPC has confirmed it is investigating four more child nudity exams between early 2020 and her 2022, and she will investigate three more. I am considering whether to
According to this figure, the number of strip searches for children is increasing each year, with an 18% increase in 2018, a 36% increase in 2019, and a 46% increase in 2020. In her quarter (23%) of
cases, a strip search was performed without confirmation of the presence of a 'suitable adult'.
Except in "emergency" cases, where this is required by law and is usually a parent or guardian, but can also be a social worker, caregiver or volunteer.
Two-thirds (70%) of these involved black boys.
Female students participated in protests outside Stoke Newington police station in March
(PA Wire)
Overall, 53% of all strip searches resulted in no further action, but the Children's
Dame Rachel said she was "deeply shocked" by the numbers.
She is also "extremely concerned" about the ethnic imbalance they uncover.
She said:
"I am still not convinced that the Metropolitan Police consistently consider the welfare and welfare of children."
Woman The sign reads "No to racist police". Child Her Q Justice in March Protest
(PA Wire)
Dame Rachel said she submitted data to Baroness Louise Casey Stated. met standard.
A team of children's commissioners demand comparable data from all police forces across England.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: We recognize the huge impact such searches can have.
"We have already made changes and are working hard to balance the police need for this type of search with the considerable impact it can have on young people.
"We have made officers and staff aware of our new policy for conducting 'further searches', particularly the requirement that a suitable adult be present." It also advised authorities on consideration of their correspondence with schools, ensuring that children are treated as children, and protecting children under the age of 18.
.This is to ensure that this policy is appropriate and also that children in this situation should be To make sure you are aware of the fact that you may be vulnerable victims of human exploitation.
Additional report by PA