(PA)
(Picture: PA Wire)Four police officers are being investigated after the strip search of a 15-year-old girl, the Met has said.
As part of the investigation, a sergeant and three constables have been served with misconduct notices by the police watchdog.
The girl’s mother made a complaint following the search at Walworth Police Station, Kennington, on December 11, 2020, after her daughter was arrested.
The search took place eight days after Child Q, also 15, was strip-searched at school in Hackney on 3 December 2020.
A spokesperson for the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), said the complaint was among incidents referred to the watchdog following public concern over the Child Q case.
"We can confirm that four Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officers have been served misconduct notices as part of our ongoing investigation,” the spokesperson told the BBC.
“Our investigation began following a referral in May 2022. 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.”
Child Q was removed from a mock exam and strip searched by female Met officers in December 2020 at a Hackney school while she was on her period. The 15-year-old was searched without the presence of another adult or her parents.
No drugs were found during the search, and four officers were served with gross misconduct notices.
A safeguarding report in March 2022 found the search was unjustified and that racism was likely to have been a factor.
