Police disciplined over strip search of boy, 15

Three police officers were handed final written warnings

Three Metropolitan Police officers committed gross misconduct after a 15-year-old boy was strip-searched in his home without an appropriate adult present, a misconduct panel has found.

The officers, who searched the boy and exposed his intimate parts as they investigated a robbery, had breached standards of professional behaviour, the Met Police said said.

Acting Sergeant Jake Simpson, PC Jordan McGovern and PC Kieron Grant were issued with final written warnings on Thursday.

The boy, known as Child A, was strip-searched at his home in 2022. No items were found and he was later released with no further action taken against him.

None of the officers made any record of the search and they failed to inform the boy's mother it had taken place, the panel heard.

It concluded the officers did not have reasonable grounds to consider it necessary to conduct this type of search prior to the boy's arrival in custody, and their actions were in breach of their police powers.

The Met said the incident "took place before the significant changes made by the Met following the case of Child Q".

In December 2020 Child Q was strip-searched by police officers at her school in Hackney, east London, after teachers wrongly accused her of carrying cannabis.

The case led to public protests in March 2022, after details came to light in a safeguarding report which found the search was unjustified and racism was "likely" to have been a factor.

Scotland Yard said the officers' actions in the Child Q case were "regrettable" and it "should never have happened".

The school also offered "a full and formal apology" to Child Q and her family over the incident.

In the instance of Child A, three officers were called to Tredegar Road, Tower Hamlets on 2 March 2022 following reports a victim had been robbed of his smartwatch by two male suspects.

At the scene they arrested the 15-year-old boy, who matched the suspect description, the Met said.

He was taken to his home where the officers carried out a search of his bedroom.

Acting Sgt Simpson told the hearing that while they were at the address, officers received information that the boy may be in possession of a knife.

He then contacted his supervisor, requesting authorisation to conduct a further search of the boy.

Following this conversation, Acting Sgt Simpson told PC McGovern and PC Grant that authority had been granted.

The Met said no arrangements were made by the officers for an appropriate adult to be present and a MTIP search – a "More Thorough search where Intimate Parts are exposed" – was carried out.

Following the hearing, Det Ch Supt Brittany Clarke, responsible for policing in Tower Hamlets, said: "We have completely changed our approach in this area – improving processes and significantly reducing the number of searches carried out.

"We need to get this right, always putting the child first, as we know being subjected to this type of search can have a significant impact on young people."

Det Ch Supt Clarke added that intimate searches "continue to be an important police power" because exploitation of children to carry drugs and weapons "remains a reality in London".

She added: "We've introduced the appropriate safeguards to ensure they're used responsibly."