According to the Children’s Commissioner report, 3,368 strip-searches were carried out on children in England and Wales from January 2018 to June 2023, with alarming compliance issues observed.
Dame Rachel de Souza emphasized that many of these strip searches are unnecessary, unsafe, and under-reported, highlighting the need for a better threshold before subjecting children to such invasive procedures.
A Home Office representative stressed that strip-searching children without an appropriate adult present, or based on race, is unacceptable and should only occur under serious harm circumstances.
Despite reported improvements in the number of strip-searches and safeguarding referrals, the report indicates that black children remain disproportionately affected, being four times more likely to be subjected to a strip search than their peers.
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