Four Met Police officers investigated over arrest of strip search of girl, 15
Four Met Police officers are being investigated over the arrest of a 15-year-old schoolgirl who was strip-searched over two years ago.
A sergeant and three constables have been handed misconduct notices in connection with the girl's detention at a station in south east London.
The arrest of the girl, who has not been named, on December 11 2020, is the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
The girl was held just eight days after another 15-year-old girl, named only as Child Q, was strip-searched at a school in Hackney, east London.
Child Q was searched while menstruating by police at her east London school because teachers thought they could smell cannabis on her, triggering widespread protests.
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It is the latest in a series of scandals to hit Scotland Yard (file photo) (Getty Images/iStockphoto)A Child Safeguarding Practices Review later said racism was “likely” a factor in Child Q being searched.
An IOPC spokesman explained that misconduct notices inform officers that they are being investigated, but doesn't necessarily mean there has been any wrongdoing in this newer case.
He said: "We can confirm that four Metropolitan Police Service officers have been served misconduct notices as part of our ongoing investigation.
"A police sergeant and three police constables have been served notices in relation to the arrest and detention of the child, who was strip searched by officers.
"Our investigation began following a referral in May 2022."
He added: "The serving of misconduct notices does not necessarily mean disciplinary proceedings will follow.
"Due to the sensitivities surrounding this matter, we cannot provide any further information at this time.”
It is the latest in a series of scandals to hit Scotland Yard.
The Met was described as "an institution in crisis" by Andrea Simon, director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW), after firearms officer David Carrick, 48, pleaded guilty to 49 offences involving 12 women earlier this week.
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