Child Q: Strip-search Met officers put on desk duties last week

The Met Police's treatment of the pupil has provoked anger

Two Met Police officers who conducted a strip-search of a black schoolgirl have been removed from public-facing roles.

A safeguarding report found the search of the 15-year-old, known as Child Q, in 2020 was unjustified and racism was "likely" to have been a factor.

The girl is suing the Met and her school in Hackney, east London.

Hackney Police commander Ch Supt Marcus Barnett, who resisted calls to resign, said the pair had been moved to desk duties, which took place last week.

It came in response to repeated questions from the public at an online community meeting about why the officers had not been sacked.

Ch Supt Barnett said: "The officers that have conducted the search have been removed from frontline duties and they are working in another part of this BCU [Basic Command Unit], they are not on the frontline duties."

The officers were removed from frontline duties on 17 March, a Met spokesperson confirmed, three days after the publication of the damning report from the City & Hackney Safeguarding Children Partnership, and more than 15 months after the 3 December 2020 search.

Protests have been held in east London during the last week

Mr Barnett confirmed they had been moved away from operational duties while the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation continued.

A member of the public also questioned why the team hosting Wednesday's meeting was made up of three white male police officers.

Det Supt Dan Rutland acknowledged that while the panel did not reflect the local community, they were the senior leadership team of Hackney Police.

During the incident, the girl was taken out of an exam to the school's medical room and strip-searched by two female Met Police officers searching for cannabis, while teachers remained outside.

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No other adult was present, her parents were not contacted and no drugs were found.

She was subjected to what police call an MTIP search, or 'More Thorough search where Intimate Parts are exposed', and the review said she was made to take off her sanitary towel.

The Met has admitted the officers' actions were "regrettable" and it "should never have happened".

The Department for Education said it was an "unacceptable incident which should not have happened".

"We are in touch with the local authority," a spokesperson said.

Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, Boris Johnson said reports of the strip-search were "deeply distressing and deeply concerning".

On Wednesday, Hackney's mayor Philip Glanville said it was clear the "school leadership has lost the confidence of the school, myself and the community".

He said removing the head teacher could be "part of a process" to bring about change.

On Monday, policing minister Kit Malthouse said the government was taking this matter "extremely seriously".

He added the government would wait for the outcome of the IOPC investigation before announcing any changes to police training around strip searches.

The IOPC said a report on the incident was being "finalised".

The incident has sparked days of protest across Hackney, including near the site of Child Q's school.

The school has not responded to repeated requests for comment.

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