A Metropolitan Police officer who conducted a strip search on a 15-year-old Black schoolgirl stated to a misconduct panel that she was merely “following the instructions of her fellow officers.”
The girl, referred to as Child Q, was subjected to the strip search at her school by PC Victoria Wray and a female partner in Hackney, east London, on December 3, 2020, after teachers mistakenly believed she might have cannabis in her possession.
The search required her to remove all her clothes, exposing intimate areas while she was menstruating, the panel was informed.
PC Wray expressed regret to Child Q and her family regarding the search, asserting that she believed she was “acting appropriately.” She, along with two other officers, denies allegations of gross misconduct related to their treatment of the minor.
During her testimony before the misconduct panel, PC Wray, who conducted the search with PC Kristina Linge, acknowledged multiple errors in how she managed the situation.
Robert Morris, her attorney, inquired: “Do you believe you conducted a search that was excessively invasive?”
“I thought it had been authorized by the supervisor, and that the officers on-site had covered all necessary protocols,” she replied.
When asked if she recognized certain stereotypes associated with Black individuals, PC Wray stated: “While I may be aware of these stereotypes, I do not let them influence my decisions.”
“My choices are based purely on facts, situational awareness, and intelligence; I strive to make decisions that are very objective,” she continued.
The panel noted that records indicated that a significant majority of individuals stopped and searched by PC Wray were Black or Asian.
Mr. Morris further questioned: “Do you believe your actions were biased due to race, even unconsciously?”
“Absolutely not,” she responded.
When asked if she felt the search should have occurred at all, PC Wray replied: “No.”
“There were numerous steps that should have been taken,” she explained to the panel. “We should have engaged more with the teachers, contacted the mother, and consulted with the sergeant more thoroughly.”
Mr. Morris then asked why she did not pause to take those actions and reassess the situation, to which PC Wray said: “I was just following the lead of other officers.”
“It was such a brief interaction; I regret that I didn’t stop to consider or verify the circumstances—I am truly sorry,” she added.
The officer, who was 25 years old at the time of the incident, stated regarding the search: “I never meant for it to be humiliating or degrading.”
The hearing is ongoing.
