Hackney’s board challenged the Met to “again acknowledge that institutional racism – as defined in the Stephen Lawrence Report – is a consistent factor in the relationship between the police and the Black and World Majority communities, and in their wider experiences” . They said this could prevent a similar incident from happening again and restore trust and confidence. Two female officers in Hackney, in December 2020, searched for the girl at her school in east London, after she mistakenly suspected that she was transporting drugs. Protests erupted in London last month following a report by City & Hackney Safeguarding Children Partnership, which found that Child Q – who had a period at the time – had to remove her clothes, underwear and a sanitary napkin, opened her buttocks. . and cough. The review concluded that racism was “likely” to be a factor, that Child Q should never have undergone strip research, and that there was a lack of a priority approach. In a letter to the Met, Hackney Council CEO Mark Carroll suggested an information-sponsored information event for parents, carers and guardians who may have concerns about the safety and well-being of their children in schools. Carroll also recommended that the force mobilize community partners in laboratories to assess police response, help formulate a strategic plan, and identify ways in which they can continue to participate in the strategy. Carroll wrote: “As you acknowledge, Child Q should have been treated with dignity and respect. She should have been treated like the child she is: her rights as a child, guaranteed. and her position as a child protected by the adults around her that day. “It’s clear that it has failed miserably and we must all work together to ensure that this never happens again. Hackney’s council accepts the review committee’s finding that this horrific and humiliating experience was “probably influenced” by racism. “We welcome your recognition of the pain and anger that the Child Q experience has caused in our communities and that it has had a direct impact on their trust and confidence in the Metropolitan Police. “Child Q’s family clearly wants this to be a moment of real change.” Child Q’s mother and aunt said the strip search had injured her. Two of the police officers involved were removed from the front line. A recent Freedom of Information request to the Met revealed that the force has conducted approximately 9,000 surveys of children over the past five years. In Hackney, 60% of kids who searched strip last year were black. Carroll’s letter was in response to Met’s response the previous day to the council’s original letter regarding the Child Q incident. Lawrence Taylor, Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Police, wrote: “I want to start by making it clear that the MPS recognizes that events in the history of London policing have led to a collapse in trust in certain communities. “It’s very important to face it, but we recognize that it is not easy. “We have clearly stated our intention to rebuild trust and confidence and we want to work with our communities and partners to help us do that and become a truly anti-racist organization.” He added: “We fully agree with the review that this incident should never have happened. “It’s more than sad and, as you noted, we apologized to the child, his family and the wider community.” Taylor also announced a pilot program in Hackney and Tower Hamlets for searches. In addition to the current requirement for a conversation with a supervisor and the presence of a suitable adult, officers will now require the authorization of a police inspector prior to conducting an investigation. Officers will also require a Merlin report – a Met police database of the children they come in contact with – to be submitted for all such investigations.
