A date is still to be set for a disciplinary hearing that could result in three Metropolitan police officers being sacked for their alleged part in the strip-search of an innocent child in December 2020.
Child Q, 15, was strip-searched at her school in Hackney, east London, while menstruating, having been wrongly accused of possessing cannabis. It was an experience she found traumatising and which has been widely condemned.
Three Met officers face disciplinary charges of gross misconduct after an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct. If found guilty, they could be sacked.
The Guardian understands that the three officers’ responses to the charges against them, which were announced in September 2023, are expected next month.
In a rare move, the IOPC will instruct the lawyers presenting the case against them. Usually discipline cases involve the officers’ own force instructing lawyers to prosecute the case against them.
The IOPC hopes the hearing will be held before the end of this year, but it is possible the case will remain unheard into 2025.
Leroy Logan, a former Met superintendent and deputy borough commander for Hackney, condemned the delay. The former chair of the Met Black Police Association said: “Justice delayed is justice denied. Child Q and her family need justice and a four- to five-year delay is scandalous.
“This is down to a lack of grip by senior leaders in the Met. It is in the public interest to have this case resolved as quickly as possible.”
The allegations against the officers include that the strip-search was wrong, no appropriate adult was present during it and that “Child Q was discriminated against by officers because of her race and sex”, according to the IOPC.
A report by Hackney council said Child Q was pulled out of an exam, taken to a room, told to bend over, spread her legs and spread her buttocks with her hands while coughing.
The IOPC said it concluded its investigation in September 2023: “Following this, we then made the decision to progress with disciplinary proceedings and liaised with the Met before deciding to use our powers to present this case to the disciplinary panel.
”Our presenting unit was engaged in substantial case preparation work, which involved preparing detailed misconduct allegations and significant volumes of bundles of material and evidence gathered during the course of the investigation.
“The officers have been served with the gross misconduct papers and responses are due next month.
“A chair has been appointed and once responses are received they will then determine the length of the hearing and liaise with the parties involved to set a date.
“We recognise it is in the interest of all parties concerned for proceedings to take place as soon as possible.”
Asked to explain why the case had been delayed, the Met did not answer the question. A spokesperson said: “We understand concern around the use of strip-search and have introduced measures to ensure it is only used when there is a risk of serious harm and that children and young people are protected.
“Under A New Met for London, we are committed to delivering a new children strategy in which we will take a child-first approach to all our interactions with children and young people.
“We are working with the IOPC and others to progress these misconduct matters as quickly as possible.”
