Met Police Officers Face Gross Misconduct Hearings Over Shocking Strip-Search of Black Schoolgirl
Three Metropolitan Police officers are set to face gross misconduct hearings after wrongly strip-searching a 15-year-old black schoolgirl, known only as Child Q, in Hackney back in December 2020. The case has sparked outrage over racial discrimination, a blatant lack of supervision, and the absence of an appropriate adult during the humiliating ordeal.
Falsely Accused and Humiliated: Child Q’s Distressing Ordeal
Child Q was wrongly accused of carrying drugs and subjected to a strip-search while on her period — with no drugs found. The officers failed to get proper authorisation and subjected the girl to unnecessary trauma. This police blunder has been fiercely criticised nationwide.
IOPC Demands Apology and Accountability
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has called on the Met to apologise to Child Q and her mother and hits out at the officers for racial and gender discrimination. The allegations include carrying out an inappropriate search without supervising approval or an appropriate adult present.
- Three officers face gross misconduct hearings – potentially risking dismissal.
- A fourth officer will face disciplinary action over the failure to provide an appropriate adult during the search.
Schoolroom Strip-Search Sparks Safeguarding Outcry
The strip-search happened in the school’s medical room while Child Q was pulled out of an exam by two female Met officers hunting for cannabis. Shockingly, teachers waited outside as the girl’s intimate body parts were exposed and she was forced to remove her sanitary towel.
Steve Noonan, director of the IOPC, stressed the officers must face disciplinary proceedings. Meanwhile, Detective Chief Superintendent James Conway offered a formal apology, acknowledging the trauma caused. He confirmed steps are now in place to enforce higher authorisation levels for strip-searches and that their number has been drastically reduced amid concerns over their misuse.
