Almost 500 strip searches of Norfolk children done by police

There were 438 strip searches carried out by officers on 10 to 17-year-old suspects while in custody between 2017 and 2021, according to data released following a freedom of information request.

There were a further 51 searches which went beyond outer clothing, including some cases which involved the exposure of intimate parts, using stop and search powers.

The figures come in the wake of the Child Q scandal, where a 15-year-old schoolgirl was strip-searched by Metropolitan Police officers while on her period after being wrongly suspected of carrying cannabis at school.

The Home Office last week for the first time released national figures showing 3,000 children were strip-searched by police last year, with a third of them being black.

There have been 438 strip-searches on under-18s in police custody since 2017 (Image: Newsquest)

Campaigners described the figures as “appalling” and “disturbing” and called on government and police leaders to overhaul guidelines and investigate why the powers were being used on so many children.

Iryna Pona, policy manager at the Children’s Society, said: “The scale of this horribly intrusive practice, and the disproportionate numbers of black children being searched, is extremely concerning.”

The Norfolk data shows that over the last five years 42% of strip searches in custody and a third during stop and search involved black youngsters.

In its response Norfolk police said since 2018 an independent scrutiny panel made up from members of the custody visitor scheme had undertaken assessments of the use of strip searches.

“This includes a detailed discussion on ethnicity and juvenile cases,” it added.

“This is a national first of its kind and has helped inform better decision-making practices by custody sergeants in the application of this power.”

Children’s commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza has called for more scrutiny of child strip-searches (Image: Andi Sapey)

Children’s commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza, formerly head of the Inspiration Norfolk schools trust, has called for more scrutiny and transparency of strip searches involving children.

“I will not be satisfied until national guidelines are changed to ensure that children are strip searched only in the most exceptional situations and there are robust safeguards in place,” she said.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “Strip search is one of the most intrusive powers available to the police but does also play an important role in their efforts to protect the public, including children.

“Any child strip searched in custody should be accompanied by an appropriate adult unless they specifically request otherwise and the appropriate adult agrees.”