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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Shanti Das Home affairs correspondent

Thousands of children strip-searched by police in England and Wales last year

A protester and her two children sitting on steps while holding up a heart-shaped placard
Protesters in east London in March 2022 demonstrate against the strip-searching of a 15-year-old black schoolgirl. Photograph: Sabrina Merolla/Zuma Press Wire/Rex/Shutterstock

More than 60 children a week are being strip-searched by police in England and Wales, with those who are black, Asian or mixed race significantly more likely to be targeted, new figures reveal.

Data from 41 out of 43 police forces shows that 3,122 searches were carried out on under 18s in the year to March 2023. In total, 68,874 strip searches were carried out.

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