Child Q violated in strip-search, hearing told

The misconduct hearing for three Metropolitan Police officers revolves around the strip search of a 15-year-old girl, known as Child Q, conducted while she was menstruating. Officers performed the search without an appropriate adult present, resulting in serious allegations of gross misconduct. The search exposed the girl's sanitary pad, and no cannabis was found, raising questions about the necessity and proportionality of their actions. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) highlighted that racial bias may have influenced the officers' treatment of Child Q, who was treated as older and more criminal than her white counterparts. The IOPC's representative emphasized that such a gross overreaction would likely not have occurred had Child Q been a white student.

The panel will decide if the officers should be dismissed for their actions, which were described as unjustified and humiliating. Protests erupted following the incident, reflecting public outrage over the treatment of a vulnerable minor. This case raises broader concerns about police conduct and racial discrimination in stop-and-search practices.