Yet another one. Met strip search a menstruating child, male officers involved in the search

[Feministwoman]

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/may/24/girl-tried-to-kill-herself-after-strip-search-by-met-officers-mother-says

Yes. Something went wrong at the arrest site. They didn't find a knife that somebody had initially or a sharpened stick in her bra. So that suggests they were briefly patted down, maybe as there was no female officer on scene. What I don't get is why, after they/she was processed at the station, it took 20 hours to find blade, stick, whichever. Such searches are for the safety of the prisoner too. They badly let her down on that score as well.

Nothing about this is right. The lack of care, the humilation, the whole thing, from begining to end, was wrong!

Yes - about the only thing that might have gone worse in this is that she might have used the knife blade or sharpened stick to seriously harm herself in that cell.

Male officers watching is inexcusable.

What was the point of the search then. They cut her clothes off but didnt find the stick?

At this point u have ti ask why they eveb bothered. They cut off her clothes fgs.

If a 14 year old is self harming, she needs help for trauma not another dose of trauma... they should have called the medics. And self harm doesn't absolve the fact men watched her undress.

I can hear the American version of policing seeping in here. shoot deal first, talk later.

Deal with people in need as if they are vulnerable first before dealing with them as criminals.

I can see why they did it but I can see how they could have dealt with this better if they weren't blinkered by bias.

Even more tellingly, the article goes on to say

Olivia later appeared in court accused of possession of a bladed weapon and was acquitted.

What happened to this child would have traumatised a grown adult, let alone a vulnerable young girl. Whatever she might or might not have had in her possesion should never have been allowed to stay that way for 20 hours. That alone left her at risk. She should never have been strip searched in front of male officers. Being handcuffed and having her underwear cut away must have been terrifying.

She was utterly violated and let down by the met police, and then on top of it all, aquitted of the charge they picked her up for.

Some of you are asking why the girls were arrested in the first place, and implying that the boys made up the knife threat to get the police involved as some sort of vengeance thing.

And yet, we know from the article that the girl who was strip searched DID have a blade on her. Is it really such a stretch to think she hadn’t threatened the boys with it earlier in the day? And why are the two boys (also children btw, who were outnumbered) any more likely to have lied to the attending police than the girls were?

We KNOW that the poor girl who was strip searched must have been asked multiple times if she had anything on her which could hurt either herself or the arresting officer - that’s standard. She, we can safely assume, lied about that on each and every occasion.

The strip search sounds horrific, and I don’t see any reasonable excuse for the male officers to be watching, assuming that’s been accurately reported. The Guardian article is relying solely on the second hand testimony of the girl’s mother. There’s no corroboration of any of it yet.

I also agree that it seems to have been a long time in the process before they carried one out... but just maybe that’s because the Met got their fingers burnt with the previous girl at the school, so backed off from searching this prisoner until circumstances (the discovery of the sharpened stick) meant they really had no choice.

I also agree that it seems to have been a long time in the process before they carried one out... but just maybe that’s because the Met got their fingers burnt with the previous girl at the school, so backed off from searching this prisoner until circumstances (the discovery of the sharpened stick) meant they really had no choice.

Come off it. If that had been in their minds they'd have made sure they did it properly.

The issue is not with the need to strip search. The issue is with the way the search was conducted and the circumstances that led to the girl being arrested and detained.

“Come off it. If that had been in their minds they'd have made sure they did it properly.”

Again… we have precisely one second hand (third if you count the journalist) source for what happened.

If a 14 year old is self harming, she needs help for trauma not another dose of trauma... they should have called the medics.

Yes, in an ideal world.
What medics are these? We all know it's impossible to see a doctor - if they have a list of patients they aren't going to tootle off for half a day for an arrested suspect - and what would be the reason ?
Ditto mental health nurse, ?Social Services - where do you suggest the SW slots this into her stuffed diary.

@fallfallfall · Today 03:52
women of all ages conceal evidence in their vagina and rectums.
not checking could be fatal (condom of rectal drugs bursting causing an overdose).
strip searches are necessary but should be done following a specific protocol which is appropriate.
it's extremely easy to slip a pocket knife up either orifice.
mules are often very young and sadly even pets are subject to horrific abuse at the hands of criminals.

It is too easy for police to fall back on this sort of excuse.

Again. This was a child. And her mother was not there. Males were present.

They assaulted her in order to carry out the search.

Only a very kind, specially trained, real female doctor or nurse should ever be allowed anywhere near anyway.

Only a very kind, specially trained, real female doctor or nurse should ever be allowed anywhere near anyway.

Even if you dropped the need for “very kind” in the job description, are you aware of how many vacancies the NHS already has open for Drs and Nurses? If one had to be present at every single strip search the Police carry out then the system would rapidly grind to a halt.

The results would be more injuries to prisoners and police personnel, more deaths from drug bags rupturing in prisoner orifices and very likely a massive uptick in the number of young girls being “recruited” (coerced or forced) into being drugs mules for dealers, once they saw that strip searching had stopped.

Again, zero corroborating evidence has been shared with us that male officers watched the search. Not saying it couldn’t happen - I’m as cynical about the Police as anyone on here - but atm it’s the Mum’s second hand account of what her daughter has alleged has happened.

No where have I suggested the way this was carried out was right. Only that cavity searches are sometimes necessary.
as a retired ER nurse I’ve cut many a clothing off people in all states, male and female and seen male drs do the same. Rarely if ever a parent present.
I would expect professionalism, and appropriate policies.

So right @Ferngreen . Let's not strive to do what's best. It's too bloody hard. Too many factors to take into account. Go down the easy route - it's obnoxious but only one kid's sanity is at stake.
And you know if you can paint the kid in a bad light, it makes it even easier to stop trying to do the right thing.

The male in the met are never too busy to strip search a 14 year old girl. The ss (or any other apt public service) on the other hand, it is just too hard to coordinate activities with them.

Especially when urban planning has the hospitals at opposite ends of town from the police stations with public transport as some kind of blutac in between but I'm guessing if we start a root cause analysis someone is going to cry lack of funds and of course spending the funds will not be justified because "this happens so rarely".

Swings, roundabouts, drives me potty

File on Four (BBC Radio 4) tonight had an investigation into strip searches of kids. I haven't listened yet but will tomorrow.

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0017kjd

Indeed, it was a while ago now but before I went to the call I read through the PACE guidelines book we have on site. I was usually called to interviews. There was something about strip searches. I can't remember what it said exactly but remember it was ambiguous hence me deciding to speak to the child and get his views (with interviews it doesn't matter if they want me there or not, I overule them. Same with a brief. You would be amazed how many times I asked the police "is the brief on their way?" to be told that the AP didn't want one).

I just listened to the File on 4 programme (FYI: tough to hear) and it is most definitely a legal requirement according to the professional interviewed about it. Also no opposite sex people should be in attendance - unless they're the requested appropriate adult.

And the police officer admitted "corners were cut" - while denying racism had anything to do with it.