In December 2020, Child Q, a 15-year-old girl in Hackney, underwent a strip search by police officers mistaking her for a drug offender, despite no cannabis being found. The officers involved face gross misconduct allegations for conducting the search without an appropriate adult present, thus breaching protocol for handling minors. The traumatic search occurred while Child Q was menstruating, leading to significant psychological effects that prevent her from testifying. The Independent Office for Police Conduct described the search as unjustified and humiliating, emphasizing the officers' failures to record events accurately and respect her vulnerability.
The search was carried out without an appropriate adult present, violating rules for searching children, and exposed Child Q to considerable humiliation and trauma.
The officers treated Child Q more like an adult than a child, disregarding her vulnerability during a humiliating strip search, which was deemed unjustified.
The actions of the officers were described as 'unjustified, inappropriate, disproportionate, humiliating and degrading', violating Child Q's rights and wellbeing.
Misleading records were made by Linge and Szmydynski about the search, raising questions about their professional conduct during the incident.
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