Child Q strip-search was gross misconduct, panel finds

Two police officers who conducted the “humiliating” strip-search of a 15-year-old schoolgirl committed gross misconduct, a panel has found.

Misconduct has been proven in case of a third police officer, after the girl, known as Child Q, was searched at her school in Hackney, east London, in December 2020.

Child Q, who was wrongly suspected of possessing cannabis, was on her period at the time and forced to expose her intimate parts while no appropriate adult was present.

Trainee Det Con Kristina Linge, PC Victoria Wray and PC Rafal Szmydynski, who were all constables at the time, denied gross misconduct over their treatment of the girl.

A further search of Child Q’s hair was also carried out. No drugs were found.

The panel heard that black schoolchildren were more likely to be treated as older and less vulnerable than their white peers, although neither age nor race were found to be a factor in the way Child Q was treated.

Cdr Kevin Southworth said: “The experience of Child Q should never have happened and was truly regrettable.

“We have sincerely apologised to Child Q since this incident happened. Again, I am deeply sorry to Child Q and her family for the trauma that we caused her, and the damage this incident caused to the trust and confidence black communities across London have in our officers.”