Four Metropolitan Police officers are to face disciplinary proceedings over the strip-search of a 15-year-old schoolgirl known as Child Q.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said three of the officers face accusations of gross misconduct over the search, carried out at a school in Hackney, east London in December 2020.
They face allegations that the decision to carry out the search, carried out while the girl was on her period, was inappropriate, Child Q was discriminated against because of her race and sex, there was no appropriate adult present and the officers did not get authorisation from a supervisor.
The fourth officer will have a lesser disciplinary meeting over the fact that no appropriate adult was present.
Met bosses have also been told by the IOPC that they should consider writing formal letters of apology to Child Q and her mother.
IOPC director Steve Noonan said: “The ‘strip search’ of Child Q, a 15-year-old girl, at her school in Hackney caused widespread concern. We have investigated the circumstances surrounding how this child was treated that day as fully as possible.
“We’ve found that four officers involved in the incident should face disciplinary proceedings for the parts they played. Ultimately it will be for that disciplinary panel to decide whether the allegations against them are proven.
“We will now be liaising with the Met Police around disciplinary proceedings. We’ve kept Child Q’s representatives and the officers involved updated throughout our investigation.”
The three officers accused of gross misconduct face allegations that the decision to carry out the search was inappropriate, Child Q was discriminated against because of her race and sex, there was no appropriate adult present and the officers did not get authorisation from a supervisor.
