Officers carried out 457 such searches in the year to June 2023 \u2014 equivalent to one child every 19 hours
\n LONDON
\nPolice across England and Wales are conducting fewer strip-searches of children but \u201cconcerning practices\u201d remain, including a \u201cwidespread failure\u201d to comply with safeguarding procedures, a new watchdog report said Monday.
\nOfficers carried out 457 such searches in the year to June 2023 \u2014 equivalent to one child every 19 hours \u2014 children\u2019s commissioner Rachel de Souza found in her latest assessment of the contentious practice.
\nShe noted numbers in all of 2022 were 42 percent down on 2020, hailing \u201cclear and positive change\u201d in its use.
\nBut de Souza warned that the strip-searches, which have been repeatedly criticized for disproportionately targeting black boys and lacking oversight, were still being overused and under-regulated.
\nHer report \u2014 the third within two years \u2014 found black children were still four times more likely to be strip-searched than the overall child population.
\nMeanwhile half of the 2022-23 cases resulted in no further action being taken, \u201ccalling into question the necessity of such an intrusive search in the first place,\u201d she noted.
\nThe commissioner has been focusing on the policy following the high-profile case of \u201cChild Q.\u201d
\nThe 15-year-old black schoolgirl was strip-searched by female officers in 2020 after being wrongly suspected of carrying cannabis, despite them being aware she was menstruating.
\nLondon\u2019s Metropolitan Police apologized for their conduct two years later, and three officers face gross misconduct disciplinary charges following a police watchdog investigation.
\nIn her latest assessment, de Souza said her \u201cfirm recommendation\u201d was for strip-searches on children only to be used when \u201cthere is a clear and immediate danger to the child or others.\u201d
\n\u201cThe majority of searches are still conducted on suspicion of drugs and… could be preventable,\u201d she noted.
\nThe commissioner added there was \u201can urgent need to strengthen guidance around strip-searches, ensure oversight and inspection, and reform a culture that has allowed non-compliance to go unchallenged.\u201d
\nA strip-search is defined in England and Wales as one that exposes intimate parts.
\nPolice can carry them out on children prior to arrest as well as following detention, if guidelines are followed.
\nThey include officers acting in a sensitive, proportionate way and an appropriate adult being present.
\nThe new Labour government has vowed to implement new safeguards proposed by the previous Conservative government to improve enforcement of the guidance.
\nAn interior ministry spokeswoman said that \u201cno child should ever be strip searched without an appropriate adult unless there is a risk of serious harm to themselves or others.\u201d
\n\u201cWhilst there have been improvements, it is clear standards are not always being followed as they should,\u201d she added, noting it will \u201ccarefully consider\u201d the commissioner\u2019s recommendations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Officers carried out 457 such searches in the year to June 2023 \u2014 equivalent to one child every 19 hours LONDON Police across England and Wales are conducting fewer strip-searches of children but \u201cconcerning practices\u201d remain, including a \u201cwidespread failure\u201d to comply with safeguarding procedures, a new watchdog report said Monday. Officers carried out 457 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":425970,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-425939","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n