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Met Police investigated over more child strip-searches

ANOTHER two cases where Metropolitan Police officers strip-searched children are being investigated by a watchdog.

The cases both involve 16-year-old boys who were searched in custody without an appropriate adult present at Ilford Police Station in January 2020 and at Bethnal Green Police Station in October 2020.

Another three cases involving girls known as Child Q, Child A and Child X, are already under investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

It is now considering whether to look into a further three cases, and has already passed another six back to the Metropolitan Police for internal investigation.

In most of the 14 cases under consideration no appropriate adult was present.

The regulator expressed concern that the Child Q search, where a girl was strip-searched at school while menstruating, had not been referred to the watchdog sooner.

And it is calling for a meeting with national policing leaders to investigate whether the issues go beyond the Met to other forces in England and Wales.

IOPC director-general Michael Lockwood said: “We have been concerned about what we have seen in the cases referred to us involving complaints about strip-searches of children.”

The Metropolitan Police said that since April officers have undergone additional training around child strip-searches, and that an inspector now has to give permission for one to be carried out.

Deputy assistant commissioner Laurence Taylor, leading this work in the Met, said: “Ensuring the safeguarding of every child who is subject to a search is an absolute priority.

“What happened to Child Q was a truly regrettable incident and we have apologised publicly to her, her family and the wider community. We understand how much concern this incident has caused and how distressed Child Q has been.”

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