UK Police Officers Fired After Strip-Searching 15-Year-Old Schoolgirl During Her Period
Two police officers have lost their jobs after conducting a strip search on a Black schoolgirl, known as Child Q, while she was menstruating. The incident occurred at a school in Hackney, London, and has sparked significant outrage.
The misconduct panel characterized the search as "disproportionate, inappropriate and unnecessary." Child Q, then 15 years old, was subjected to this invasive procedure under the suspicion of carrying cannabis, but no drugs were found.
In a statement from her legal representative, Child Q expressed her profound distress over the incident. "Someone walked into the school, where I was supposed to feel safe, took me away from the people who were supposed to protect me and stripped me naked, while on my period," she recounted. "I can’t go a single day without wanting to scream, shout, cry or just give up. I don’t know if I’m going to feel normal again. But I do know this can’t happen to anyone, ever again," she added.
Trainee Detective Constable Kristina Linge and PC Rafal Szmydynski were dismissed without notice for gross misconduct. In contrast, PC Victoria Wray received a final written warning for two years after her involvement was deemed misconduct.
The hearing concluded that the officers' actions were not influenced by Child Q’s race, nor did it find evidence of adultification. However, it did determine that T/DC Linge and PC Szmydynski breached professional standards regarding authority and respect.
Following the hearing, Commander Kevin Southworth issued an apology for the distress caused to Child Q. "The experience of Child Q should never have happened and was truly regrettable," he stated. He reiterated the police force's commitment to addressing the trauma inflicted on Child Q and acknowledged the damage done to trust within Black communities in London.
Southworth admitted that there were significant flaws in police procedures. "While the officers involved did not act correctly, we acknowledge there were organisational failings. Training around strip searches was inadequate, and our oversight of this power was severely lacking," he explained.
He emphasized that these shortcomings left officers, often inexperienced or junior, making critical decisions without sufficient support or resources. "What happened to Child Q was a catalyst for change both for the Met and for policing nationally," Southworth declared.
Despite the necessity of such searches in combating drug and weapon exploitation among youth in London, Southworth assured that new safeguards have been implemented since the incident to prevent future occurrences.
