Some 650 strip searches of minors have been carried out in two years, and mostly on black teenagers, in England. The Children’s Commissioner on Monday expressed concern at the extent of London police’s use of this method.
After the turmoil created by the full search inflicted in 2020 on a 15-year-old black teenager, the “Children’s Commissioner” Rachel de Souza, responsible for defending children’s rights, asked Scotland Yard for statistics on this subject. Between 2018 and 2020, around 650 young people between the ages of 10 and 17 were subjected to this type of strip search, according to figures made public on Monday. 58% of them were described by the police as being black, and more than 95% were boys. In 23% of cases, the search took place without the presence of a third adult, as is required by law except in an emergency.
London police have promised changes
More than half of these searches have resulted in no prosecution, leading the Children’s Commissioner to believe they may not be “warranted or necessary in all cases”.
Rachel de Souza said she was “deeply shocked” by the “number of children who are subjected each year to this intrusive and traumatic practice” and “deeply concerned” by the ethnic disparity brought to light.
In response, London police said they were “making rapid progress in their work” to ensure that “children who are subject to these intrusive practices are treated appropriately and respectfully” and they highlighted changes already undertaken.
A search due to “racism”
The question arose in the United Kingdom following the search inflicted in 2020 on a black teenager in the infirmary of her school. It had been carried out by two policewomen, without the presence of a third adult and while the girl was on her period. Wrongly suspected of having concealed cannabis, the young girl had been deeply traumatized by this affair, at the origin of several demonstrations.
A Child Protective Services report concluded in March that such a search should “never” have taken place and that “racism (whether deliberate or not) was likely a contributing factor. influenced the decision” to carry it out.
Attached to the notion of consensus with the population, the police in London have been shaken by a succession of resounding scandals, which have led to a crisis of confidence and the resignation of its chief Cressida Dick, replaced by the former chief of police British counter-terrorist Marc Rowley.
