British police said they are working to ensure children subjected to intrusive searches are treated “properly and respectfully”.
The Metropolitan Police (Met), the largest British police force, between 2018 and 2020 stripped 650 children to subject them to inspection, mostly young black men, according to data from an investigation published this Monday.
Of the 650 minors between the ages of 10 and 17 screened by British officials, 95% were children and 58% of those children were black. This, according to research published by Rachel de Souza, Commissioner for children in England.
In 23% of cases, an appropriate adult was not present, the report notes.
The investigation was commissioned following the case of a 15-year-old black-haired girl who was searched naked and without the assistance of a trusted adult.
The above, by female Met officers in East London in 2020 despite knowing she was menstruating. The police wrongly considered her suspected of carrying cannabis.
The commissioner for children said she was “dismayed” by the figures provided by the Met.
“As indicated in the case of Girl Q, the strip search of the children shows an extremely worrying ethnic disproportion,” he opined.
“Half of the strip searches of minors did not result in any further action, calling into question the need for these intrusive and traumatizing searches,” he added.
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The curator said the figures suggest “systemic problems around child protection” at the Met. “I remain unconvinced that the Metropolitan Police consistently take into account the protection and welfare of children.”
Iryna Pona, Policy director of the NGO The Children’s Society told Xinhua: “We are appalled at the number of children subjected to these body searches. We are also concerned regarding the overrepresentation of black children in these screening numbers.”
Strip searches are intrusive and traumatic, and children are being completely failed if even basic safeguards are not applied. said Pona.
