THREE METROPOLITAN Police officers are under investigation for their part in the horrific strip search of a black schoolgirl.
The girl, known as Child Q, was 15 when she was forced to undergo a “humiliating and traumatising” strip search, which exposed her intimate body parts.
She was on her period and had to remove her sanitary towel, at her school in Hackney, east London, in 2020.
The Hackney-based school was visited by four officers, including two women, who carried out the search of the girl.
No other adults were present during the search and her mother was not called.
The schoolgirl was wrongly suspected of carrying cannabis.
According to a safeguarding review by the City & Hackney Safeguarding Children Partnership, racism “was likely to have been an influencing factor.”
The harrowing report also said if she was not black, her experience would have not been the same.
According to The Guardian, three Met police officers who were placed under investigation, by the police watchdog over the incident, remain on full duties.
The schoolgirl released a statement through her family’s solicitor on yesterday describing her ordeal.
“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,” she said.
“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 else, ever again.”
Her mother said her daughter was treated like a criminal at school and was not protected by those meant to care for her.
She said: “Professionals treated her as an adult. She was searched as an adult. Is it because of her skin? Her hair? Why her? My daughter is a changed person. We try to reassure her but looking to the future, we can’t say she will ever recover.”
The Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy said on Twitter: “The Met have apologised to a child they strip-searched after wrongly suspecting her of carrying cannabis. Whilst on her period. Without an adult present.
“Without wholesale reform of the way the Met engages with the Black community, this apology is just reputation management.”
The Met has apologised for the treatment the girl was subjected to.
In a statement Det Supt Dan Rutland, of the Met’s Central East Command, said: “We recognise that the findings of the safeguarding review reflect this incident should never have happened.
“It is truly regrettable and on behalf of the Met Police I would like to apologise to the child concerned, her family and the wider community.”
Leading campaigners are calling for the teachers and police officers involved to be sacked and prosecuted.
Several protests are scheduled to take place over the weekend demanding justice for the schoolgirl.
The Voice will be hosting a Twitter debate with Professor Gus John and other guests today (Thursday 17th March) at 3pm. Visit our Twitter handle then: @TheVoiceNews
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9 Comments
But who are the leading campaigners?
How do people, like me, who wish to support the campaign against those police officers and school staff ( must incude the head presumably?) show their support by signing up to a petition or whatever it takes to bring ALL of thos responsible to proper justice.
People should wait for the full enquiry before requesting for police to be sacked. If they are found to be at fault then action should be taken. Until the full facts are known, not just the school girls account, how can you judge the incident!?
Apologies are not good enough!!!
An investigation and prosecution is necessary for those involved who did not protect this young child all her dignity was taken for her.
Why wasn’t the mother/guardian called?????
Why are the police officers who are involved in this terrible ordeal still working
I hope the family are taking the police and the school to court they have all broken the law nobody was there to protect that young girl and an apology is not enough
This poor child. This is more or less sexual abuse. She has been subjected to a horrific humiliating ordeal and was probably very scared to go through this. What is wrong with people that they would treat someone like this just because of the colour of their skin? It’s just a colour! She’s still flesh and blood. Shame on them all. I hope she recovers, bless her.
Yet another crime being committed by those that are in positions of power! Sack them all and send them to jail!!
The horrible truth Voice reader is even if the Police Constable who supervised the illegal strip-search of this African-heritage school pupil had been African-heritage; the strip-search of this innocent pupil would still have occurred because Police Constable are trained to obey orders.
They are not paid to think independently.
This is the reason Voice reader why the political Left’s “diversity” is not a solution against Police prejudice; discrimination and racism.
Its not only the fact this young girl was black its the fact sh e was a minor and did not have anyone else with her
Black or white or green it was so far out of order
This is disgusting,that poor child why was her parents not called,no justice,prayers have gone up for her at our church this morning,great change needed to protect children,school is meant to protect our children,God bless her and her family at this very bad time