Responding to the release today (Monday 27 March) of the Children’s Commissioner’s investigation into the strip-searching of children by police forces in England and Wales, BEO Chief Executive, Dr Wanda Wyporska said:
“The evidence paints a damning picture of the widespread misuse of power to target, humiliate and traumatise children – especially Black children. The fact that Black children were eleven times more likely to be strip-searched compared with the national child population points to a problem of systemic racism in police forces in England and Wales.
“This widespread flouting of safeguards would not be tolerated in any other setting. To protect all children, strip-searches must be stopped until there is greater scrutiny and oversight of the practice.”
