AYJ Comment: Strip search of children in England and Wales – analysis by the Children’s Commissioner for England

Following the Children’s Commissioner for England’s publication of data on the strip search of children by the Metropolitan Police, the Commissioner has released data on the strip search of children in England and Wales between 2018 and mid-2022.

The analysis highlights that the troubling findings from previously released data surrounding practice within the Met, such as “systemic problems with transparency, scrutiny and non-compliance with guidelines when children were being strip searched under stop and search powers”, are also evident throughout England and Wales.

Key findings show that Black children in England and Wales are up to 6 times more likely to be searched compared with national population figures. Furthermore, more than half of strip searches were conducted without an Appropriate Adult confirmed as present, and took place in inappropriate locations such as private businesses, takeaway outlets and amusement parks. Over half of searches resulted in no further action.

The report also highlights “a poor quality of record-keeping”, which indicates that the figures cited in the report “may be only a minimum”.

The AYJ has been working with the Children Commissioner’s Office since last year. In our October Members’ Meeting, we held a panel discussion on strip searching and child-centered policing, and the Children’s Commissioner for England spoke at our January Members’ Meeting to update members on the progress of this report.

Commenting on the report, AYJ Interim Chief Executive Saqib Deshmukh said:

“This data confirms that Child Q was not an isolated incident. Concerning practice surrounding the strip search of children is not confined to the Metropolitan Police force. Black children also remain disproportionately impacted by this abuse.

The report highlights a concerning lack of accountability within the police surrounding the strip searching of children: many police forces had “no data” to share with the Commissioner surrounding the number of strip searches conducted by their forces. The lack of scrutiny and oversight over these processes must be urgently addressed.

We agree with the Commissioner’s recommendation that it is time for the government to provide a comprehensive review of the legislative and policy framework for searches involving children in custody and under stop and search powers. Safeguarding and transparency must be prioritised. Critical changes to the Police and Criminal Evidence (PACE) Codes are required to achieve this.

We hope that future reviews authentically embody the voices of Black and racially minoritised communities, and of the voluntary community sector, from start to finish. Ultimately, we need genuinely child-centred policing that is accountable to the communities that it serves: this data shows that this remains far from being realised.”