Met officers facing gross misconduct hearing over Child Q Strip Search
The black schoolgirl was wrongly accused of possessing cannabis.
Last updated 2nd Jun 2025
Three Metropolitan Police officers are to face a gross misconduct hearing later, over the strip search in 2020 of a schoolgirl, known only as Child Q.
The girl, who is black, was strip searched whilst on her period - with the strip search taking place with no appropriate adult present during the incident at a school in Hackney.
Following the publication of the details, New Scotland Yard apologised to the girl for their conduct in the search.
A safeguarding report found racism was a 'likely' factor.
The officers, all from the force's Central East Command Unit, will face the hearing at Palestra House in London from 2-27 June.
Calls for urgent reform
Since the case of Child Q, the Children's Commissioner has been pushing for urgent reform.
The latest data suggests some signs of improvement, with lower numbers of strip-searches overall, especially in London.