1 child strip searched every 14 hours in England, Wales: Report

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - More than 3,300 strip searches of children were conducted in England and Wales between 2018 and mid-2023, with 457 of these occurring in just the last 12 months, according to a report released on Monday. The data reveals a shocking average of one child being strip-searched every 14 hours over the five-year period.

The report, compiled by Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children's Commissioner for England, also highlights that police failed to ensure the presence of an appropriate adult in nearly half of these cases. In 39% of the searches, no adult was confirmed to be present, and in 6% of cases, none was present at all.

Among the 457 strip searches conducted between July 2022 and June 2023, half resulted in no further action, around a quarter led to arrests, and 6% had no recorded outcome.

The report also underscores a significant racial disparity, with Black children four times more likely to be subjected to strip searches. This disparity was even more pronounced between 2018 and 2022, when Black children were six times more likely to be searched. However, the overall number of strip searches under stop and search decreased by 42% in 2022 compared to 2020.

"I am particularly reassured by the progress in London by the Metropolitan Police, but today's research serves as a stark reminder that this is not an isolated issue in the capital," de Souza said. "A much higher threshold should be met before a child is subjected to a humiliating and traumatizing intimate search."

The Commissioner stressed the urgency of addressing the issue, noting that too many strip searches are still "unnecessary, unsafe, and underreported."

A Home Office spokesperson stated: "No child should ever be strip-searched without an appropriate adult present unless there is a risk of serious harm to themselves or others, nor should these searches be conducted based on race or ethnicity. While there have been improvements, it is clear that standards are not always being followed as they should."