麻豆社

When a 15-year-old black schoolgirl was strip-searched by police in Hackney in 2020, there were protests across the borough.

Now, a report commissioned following the high-profile case of Child Q has warned that too many strip-searches of children in England and Wales are "unnecessary, unsafe and under-reported."

Data gathered by Children's Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza shows that, from 2018 to mid-2023, police conducted 3,368 child strip-searches.

While figures are falling, the report also found that one in 20 searches had not complied with strict rules, including the need to have an appropriate adult present. It was also concluded that black children were more likely to be searched.

The 麻豆社's Adina Campbell has the story.

(Image credit: Getty Images)