Three officers from the Metropolitan Police have been accused of attempting to “cover up” the incident involving the strip-search of a 15-year-old black schoolgirl.
To safeguard her identity, the girl is referred to as Child Q. She was wrongly suspected of possessing cannabis and was subjected to a strip-search while on her menstrual period, with no appropriate adult present, in Hackney on December 3, 2020.
During the gross misconduct hearing, an independent panel reviewed evidence indicating that trainee Det Con Kristina Linge, PC Victoria Wray, and PC Rafal Szmydynski documented the search five weeks after it occurred.
The allegations assert that Child Q was discriminated against based on her race and gender. All three officers have denied any wrongdoing.
On the initial day of the hearings, it was revealed that there was no suitable appropriate adult present during the search. The officers failed to obtain authorization from a sergeant or a higher-ranking officer before proceeding, which contradicts police protocol.
On the day of the strip-search, teachers expressed their concerns and contacted the safer schools officer, suspecting that Child Q had a smell of cannabis.
Police arrived at the east London school approximately 20 minutes later, and the two female officers, PCs Linge and Wray, subsequently conducted the intimate search.
During the hearing, it was highlighted that when Child Q informed the officers she was menstruating, they responded, “we’re all women here,” and instructed her to bend over, spread her buttocks, and cough.
No cannabis was discovered, and further searches, including one of Child Q’s hair, also yielded no drugs.
The three officers are accused of “overreacting” and implementing an “unjustifiably thorough approach” that was inappropriate, humiliating, and degrading.
Additionally, it is claimed that adequate consideration was not given to Child Q’s age and gender, particularly when she was asked to remove her sanitary towel.
The panel is also evaluating whether Child Q’s race played a role, noting that black individuals are disproportionately more likely to be stopped and searched by law enforcement.
PCs Szmydynski and Linge are alleged to have created a misleading record following the search’s conclusion. The panel was informed that they were “reluctant and dismissive” regarding the search details when it was later documented in the police database.
The case of Child Q was made public in a safeguarding report in 2022, which sparked widespread protests and urgent calls for intervention in Parliament.
The panel learned that Child Q would not be testifying in the current proceedings, as she continues to experience trauma from the humiliation and violation of the strip-search.
If the officers are found to have committed gross misconduct by violating professional standards, they could face dismissal.
