This is just shocking (trigger warning -racism)

[iloverock]

www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/department-for-education-metropolitan-police-services-scotland-yard-hackney-b988292.html

Please read the formal review.

Essentially the teaching staff called the police because a black 15 year old girl smelt of cannabis. She was taken to a room and strip searched. She was on her period. Her mother wasn't notified. She was not given the opportunity for an appropriate adult to be present.

@WeDontTalkAboutBrunoNoNoNo

I found out the hard way (through my role in a school) that according to legislation, schools don't have to inform parents if they "have reason to believe" that a child needs to be searched by the police. I don't know what the law is regarding the police and strip searching minors (i assume they should have an appropriate adult but very little surprises me these days so I could be wrong) but the fact that the school requested the search and didn't inform the parents does not shock me in the slightest. It's an appalling practice and it needs to be changed.

Searching a student’s bag and pockets, maybe. Strip searching? Absolutely not.

If my child (admittedly white so I am aware this is unlikely) endured this, I wouldn’t rest until I felt the people responsible had faced sufficient consequences for their actions.

Oh give over. Questioning things doesn't make you a racist apologist.

Not reading the full thread and the linked information before giving your opinion makes you a bit of an idiot though.

I did consider name changing for this, because I know what type of response it will get, but I've decided to own it.

On reading the OP and the link in the OP, I thought the same as I've seen a few others ask while scanning down the thread - "Why is this a racist incident?" "Is it always racist, just because the victim is black?"

Then I read the full report, as kindly linked further down the thread. Only 8% of those under 18 who were 'further searched' during 2020/2021 were white. That's not a coincidence. There are references in the report about the victim's "extreme large head of locks".

While to question the response was my initial reaction, I would have trusted in the report anyway, as they have all the information that I don't have, but the report makes it very clear that it should be obvious to anyone in possession of the information that this was a racist incident, and that similar incidents are happening on a regular basis.

I'm white. I have no known ancestry of anything but white. I'm not likely to ever understand or instinctively recognise every time a person is racially targeted or discriminated against, as I'm privileged enough to not live that life. As a white person, though, it's my responsibility to keep striving to recognise this racism - whether conscious or not - as it is completely unacceptable.

Thank you for posting this.

@JennyHogon

I'm (unfortunately) not surprised that it happened, btw. I'm only questioning the racist element. One of my own children had a horrendous experience, but because she is white, it goes below the radar.

Can you just stop. It’s not going under the radar because your child is white. If you have an issue deal with it and know that your child is better off due to being white and not having racism also affect their treatment. White children are not disadvantaged due to racism. Also do not quote the statistics on outcomes broken down by race as that shows outcomes not what causes them. Having been a teacher I can tell you what causes them and it’s not racism towards white students.

this surely counts as assault and the officers should be prosecuted, never mind sacked

poor poor girl

Absolutely horrendous. I would be beyond devastated as an adult, but for a child how do you get over something like this? I can't describe this as anything other than a sexual assault.
I'm going to explain to my dc what their rights if they or their friends are ever in this situation. I strongly suspect though, as white kids, they won't be the ones targeted. They wouldn't have treated a white girl like this.
My dc are at senior school and even in a nice area there are loads of kids who smell of cannabis. If they suspect you carrying anything you get a bag search, shoe search, pocket turn out. That's appropriate and that's enough.

I'm surprised anyone is surprised. This happens on a daily basis. Any non white person will confirm

I'm (unfortunately) not surprised that it happened, btw. I'm only questioning the racist element. One of my own children had a horrendous experience, but because she is white, it goes below the radar.

FFS!!! Read the link before posting!!!

It says in black and white that race played a part!!

It weird that you’re so desperate to think that race didn’t play a part when it says it multiple times!!

Your child is not this child.
If you would like to start a thread and post the review and gp report then do - but don’t minimise what this poor girl went through as you’ve got some sort of weird issue with it.

@Deadposhtory

I'm surprised anyone is surprised. This happens on a daily basis. Any non white person will confirm

But they aren’t to be believed and anyway it once kind of happened to someone who was white so there.

/sarcasm.

@JennyHogon

You would do well to read @kittensinthekitchen ‘s post on this page.

Absolutely disgusting.

Just sickening. And yes it was down to race, no other reason for it.

Amazing that when I was complaining about a neighbour dealing and smoking so much weed that it stunk our old flat out the police said they can't do anything as it's only a bit of weed. This was a white woman.

I am a teacher. They would have had to fucking arrest me in order to get near a child to search her like this.

Ashamed that people in my profession did not protect a pupil. They should be fired straight away.

Some pp here are just disgusting. Racism and abuse could be happening in front of their faces but they would question if it was really happening if it was real racism because they had no way to compare with their perception of racism.

There is an article and an official review including the child's account and the trauma she endured. However, these idiotic bitches think it never happened because they say so. You are entitled and twisted.

Are you expecting to receive praise for being abuse apologists?

The officers deserve to be sacked and punished. What the fuck were they thinking? I felt sick reading that.

Horrific. The poor girl. I am absolutely ashamed to be a teacher and to think that a fellow teacher allowed this to happen. If she smelt of cannabis surely the first thing would be a chat with the girl and then her parents/caters before deciding which safeguarding route to go down (if any) To call the police, not inform parents, stand outside whilst they strip searched her…I have no words. Absolutely abhorrent. I didn’t think there was much left that could shock me but this really is the lowest of the low.

I cannot believe what I just read. This is barbaric

@JennyHogon

I'm (unfortunately) not surprised that it happened, btw. I'm only questioning the racist element. One of my own children had a horrendous experience, but because she is white, it goes below the radar.

I very much doubt it “goes below the radar” because she’s white. It’s much more likely she’s one of the few non-bame person that something that horrendous happened without uproar. People (inc children) of colour put up with this horrendous maltreatment and many are afraid of making the situation worse by complaining .

I’m very sorry that your daughter had an awful experience. You should push for justice. However to claim her situation gained no attention because she’s white is simply not true.

The police sound like perverts and racists, this is nothing but a humiliating sex crime.

She was pulled out of an exam to strip and display her genitals to the police?!

Absolutely disgusting. This is an assault. How the hell can police strip search a child? The 2nd report of a violent and unnecessary strip search by the MET in as many months, but how many other women and children is this happening to? This is yet another example of why the MET needs to be completely dismantled. They are a stain on this country and policing.

Is there a legal fundraiser?

My husband just showed me this.

Poor poor girl. Even if she did have cannabis on her (& all evidence points to the fact she didn’t) even if she was a problem child in school (& normal teen behaviour is often seen differently in black kids) no one deserves that treatment.

She was failed in a big way.

Is there a legal fundraiser?
Not that I can find.

@Pieceofpurplesky

I am a teacher. They would have had to fucking arrest me in order to get near a child to search her like this.

Ashamed that people in my profession did not protect a pupil. They should be fired straight away.

I was starting to worry when PP who work in schools said they weren’t surprised or they ‘hoped’ they would have said something. Thank you for restoring a bit of my faith!

How is this not headline news?!

Utterly disgraceful. That poor poor girl. FIFTEEN! FFS. It would be humiliating enough as an adult woman who has had smear tests etc. She had to bend over and spread her legs.

I'm actually horrified and somewhat speechless that these people haven't been arrested for child abuse.

Please tell me they're sueing.