Latest news with #PcVictoriaWray
The Independent
9 hours ago
- The Independent
Two Met Police officers sacked for gross misconduct in Child Q search
Two Metropolitan Police officers committed gross misconduct during the 'disproportionate' and 'humiliating' strip search of a 15-year-old black girl at school, who was wrongly suspected of carrying cannabis. The girl, known as Child Q, was strip searched while she was on her period, by officers in Hackney, east London, on December 3 2020, after her school wrongly suspected her of carrying cannabis. The 'traumatic' police search involved the removal of Child Q's clothing, including her underwear, her bending over and having to expose intimate parts of her body, the police disciplinary panel heard. Authorisation was not sought for the intimate search, which left Child Q feeling 'demeaned' and 'physically violated'. An appropriate adult was not present, a key safeguard of a child's rights, and the girl's mother was not told of the situation. On Thursday the panel ruled the actions of Pc Kristina Linge and Pc Rafal Szmydynski amounted to gross misconduct and they were dismissed without notice. Pc Victoria Wray's conduct amounted to misconduct and she was given a final written warning. She was a 24-year-old probationary officer at the time and arrived at the scene after the key decisions had been made. Panel chairman Commander Jason Prins said: 'There has been enormous harm to Child Q and significant harm to the community in trusting the police.' He added 'this is a very high harm case' and given the 'extremely serious findings' made by the panel 'the only appropriate outcome is dismissal without notice'. Earlier he had described the incident as 'a disastrous and negative interaction' between police and a black teenager, but said race had not been the reason why Child Q was treated so badly. The search was 'disproportionate, inappropriate and unnecessary', and it was 'humiliating' for the child and made her feel 'degraded'. Commander Prins said 'this is a case where officers adopted a simplistic approach' to a sensitive matter and they did not follow the training they were given. Authorisation was not sought and the situation 'cried out for advice and input', he added. Child Q did not give evidence at the four-week hearing 'because of the psychological effects that this strip search has had on her', the panel heard. Outrage over Child Q's treatment led to protests outside Stoke Newington police station in north London, after a safeguarding review found she had arrived at school for a mock exam and was taken to the medical room to be strip-searched while teachers remained outside. After the misconduct panel finding, Amanda Rowe, director of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which brought the case, said: 'Their decision to strip-search a 15-year-old at school on suspicion of a small amount of cannabis was completely disproportionate. 'They failed to follow the policies that exist to ensure that children in these situations have appropriate protective measures in place.' Teachers had already searched Child Q's blazer, shoes and school bag, and no drugs were found. The school's safeguarding deputy had called police, amid fears Child Q could have been carrying drugs for someone, being exploited or groomed in the community, which meant it was a safeguarding issue for her and other school pupils. Pc Szmydynski took a 'leading role' in the actions that day, including calling for a second female officer to attend, in line with a more intimate search taking place. Pc Linge told Child Q she would be arrested if she did not consent to being searched. Pc Szmydynski was 39 and had more than 13 years policing experience at the time of the search, after becoming a police community support officer in 2007 and a constable in November 2014. Pc Linge was 41 and had joined the force in August 2018. Child Q told Pcs Linge and Wray, who searched her, that she was menstruating, but the search continued, during which her sanitary pad was exposed. When no drugs were found after the strip search, Child Q's hair was also scoured. The girl did not give evidence at the tribunal, 'because of the psychological effects that this strip search has had on her' and the panel was also told that within days of the strip search, Child Q had gone to her doctor with symptoms of anxiety. Her doctors' notes, include the comment she had the 'appearance of symptoms of anxiety consistent with PTSD'. With no adult present, the teenager was alone and had no help during her conversations with police, or when the decision was made to perform a strip search. No consideration was given as to whether the search could have been moved to Child Q's home, a police station or if it needed to happen at all, according to Commander Prins. It was suggested the police felt the safeguarding deputy, who had accepted in her evidence to feeling 'Child Q was stoned', was acting as the appropriate adult. But Commander Prins added: 'Child Q's mother was a strong choice to be an appropriate adult and equally, a member of staff who had not been involved in the incident.' The hearing was also told that Metropolitan Police officers get no further updates on stop and search after initial training, and the training on conducting searches in schools was described as 'insufficient'. Metropolitan Police Commander Kevin Southworth told PA news agency: 'I think we should start by offering our sincerest and deepest apologies again to Child Q for what happened that day and also to her family, her friends, the community, and everyone affected by this terrible incident. 'We understand the distress it must've caused within the community and on Child Q herself and hopefully we can reassure people that we've transformed our approach to stop and search since this time in order to make sure that something like this never happens again.' He had also said: 'While the officers involved did not act correctly, we acknowledge there were organisational failings. 'Training to our officers around strip-search and the type of search carried out on Child Q was inadequate, and our oversight of the power was also severely lacking. 'This left officers, often young in service or junior in rank, making difficult decisions in complex situations with little information, support, or clear resources to help their decision-making.' England's children's commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, described the case as 'one of the most shocking and profoundly disturbing incidents involving the treatment of a child by police in recent memory'. She said the gross misconduct findings are 'a critical step in the pursuit of accountability but will not make up for the serious failures in safeguarding', adding 'Child Q's case has to be a line in the sand'. There have been 'some signs of improvement' in how searches are carried out and recorded by police, she said, but 'too many strip searches today are unnecessary, unsafe and under-reported'.
The Independent
10 hours ago
- The Independent
Two Met Police officers committed gross misconduct in Child Q search, panel says
Two Metropolitan Police officers committed gross misconduct during the 'disproportionate' and 'humiliating' strip search of a 15 year-old black girl at school, who was wrongly suspected of carrying cannabis, a disciplinary hearing has found. The girl, known as Child Q, was strip searched while she was on her period, by officers in Hackney, east London, on December 3 2020, after her school wrongly suspected her of carrying cannabis. The 'traumatic' police search involved the removal of Child Q's clothing, including her underwear, her bending over and having to expose intimate parts of her body. Authorisation was not sought for the intimate search which left Child Q feeling 'demeaned' and 'physically violated,' the panel heard. An appropriate adult was not present, a key safeguard of a child's rights, and the girl's mother was not told of the situation. The actions of Pc Kristina Linge and Pc Rafal Szmydynski amounted to gross misconduct, while the behaviour of Pc Victoria Wray amounted to misconduct, the police disciplinary hearing, sitting in south-east London, ruled on Thursday. Panel chairman Commander Jason Prins described the incident as 'a disastrous and negative interaction' between police and a black teenager, but said race had not been the reason why Child Q was treated so badly. The search was 'disproportionate, inappropriate and unnecessary', and it was 'humiliating' for the child and made her feel 'degraded'. The officers are now waiting to hear if they will be sacked, or what other penalty they may face, in light of the findings. Commander Prins said 'this is a case where officers adopted a simplistic approach' to a sensitive matter and they did not follow the training they were given. Authorisation was not sought and the situation 'cried out for advice and input,' he added. Child Q did not give evidence at the four-week hearing 'because of the psychological effects that this strip search has had on her', the panel heard. Outrage over Child Q's treatment led to protests outside Stoke Newington police station in north London, after a safeguarding review found she had arrived at school for a mock exam and was taken to the medical room to be strip searched while teachers remained outside. After the misconduct panel finding Amanda Rowe, director of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which brought the case, said: 'Their decision to strip search a 15-year-old at school on suspicion of a small amount of cannabis was completely disproportionate. 'They failed to follow the policies that exist to ensure that children in these situations have appropriate protective measures in place.' Teachers had already searched her blazer, shoes and school bag, and no drugs were found. The school's safeguarding deputy had called police, amid fears Child Q could have been carrying drugs for someone, being exploited or groomed in the community, which meant it was a safeguarding issue for her and other school pupils. Pc Szmydynski called for a second female officer to attend, in line with a more intimate search taking place, the panel heard. Pc Linge told Child Q she would be arrested if she did not consent to being searched. Child Q told the two officers who searched her she was menstruating, but the search continued, during which her sanitary pad was exposed. When no drugs were found after the strip search, Child Q's hair was also scoured. The girl did not give evidence at the tribunal, 'because of the psychological effects that this strip search has had on her', the panel previously heard. Within days of the strip search, Child Q had gone to her doctor with symptoms of anxiety. Elliot Gold, for the IOPC, went through a series of doctors' notes, including one which suggested Child Q had the 'appearance of symptoms of anxiety consistent with PTSD'. The three officers gave evidence and each said they were not influenced by subconscious bias. With no adult present, the teenager was alone and had no help during her conversations with police, or when the decision was made to perform a strip search. No consideration was given as to whether the search could have been moved to Child Q's home, a police station or if it needed to happen at all, according to Commander Prins. It was suggested the police felt the safeguarding deputy, who had accepted in her evidence to feeling 'Child Q was stoned', was acting as the appropriate adult. But Commander Prins added: 'Child Q's mother was a strong choice to be an appropriate adult and equally, a member of staff who had not been involved in the incident.' The hearing was also told that Metropolitan Police officers get no further updates on stop and search after initial training, and the training on conducting searches in schools was described as 'insufficient'. In closing speeches Luke Ponte, for Linge, there is 'impossible complexity and lacking of understanding of police powers'. After the ruling Metropolitan Police Commander Kevin Southworth said: 'The experience of Child Q should never have happened and was truly regrettable. 'We have sincerely apologised to Child Q since this incident happened. Again, I am deeply sorry to Child Q and her family for the trauma that we caused her, and the damage this incident caused to the trust and confidence black communities across London have in our officers.' He added: 'While the officers involved did not act correctly, we acknowledge there were organisational failings. 'Training to our officers around strip-search and the type of search carried out on Child Q was inadequate, and our oversight of the power was also severely lacking. 'This left officers, often young in service or junior in rank, making difficult decisions in complex situations with little information, support, or clear resources to help their decision-making.' Pc Szmydynski was 39 and had more than 13 years policing experience at the time of the search, after becoming a police community support officer in 2007 and a constable in November 2014. Pc Linge was 41 and had joined the force in August 2018. Pc Wray was a 24-year-old probationary officer who arrived at the scene after key decisions had been made, the panel found. England's children's commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza described the case as 'one of the most shocking and profoundly disturbing incidents involving the treatment of a child by police in recent memory'. She said the gross misconduct findings are 'a critical step in the pursuit of accountability but will not make up for the serious failures in safeguarding', adding 'Child Q's case has to be a line in the sand'. There have been 'some signs of improvement' in how searches are carried out and recorded by police, 'too many strip searches today are unnecessary, unsafe and under-reported'. Insisting she will keep pushing for reform, she added: 'The strip searching of children should never form part of routine policing. It must only be used as a last resort if there is an immediate risk of harm to the child or others with proper safeguards in place – children should never be put through such traumatic experiences without rigorous standards.'
The Independent
12-06-2025
- The Independent
Child Q told she ‘may be arrested' if she did not consent to search, panel hears
A black schoolgirl who was strip searched by Metropolitan Police officers was told she 'might be arrested' if she refused to comply, a misconduct panel has heard. The girl, known as Child Q, was strip searched by officers in Hackney, east London, on December 3 2020 after her school wrongly suspected her of carrying cannabis. This involved the removal of the 15-year-old's clothing including underwear, her bending over and having to expose intimate parts of her body while she was menstruating, the panel heard. Trainee detective constable (TDC) Kristina Linge, Pc Victoria Wray and Pc Rafal Szmydynski, who were all Pcs at the time, all deny gross misconduct over their treatment of the girl. On Thursday, TDC Linge, who conducted the strip search alongside Pc Wray, told the misconduct panel in London she informed Child Q she 'might be arrested' when the girl asked what could happen if she refused to be searched, but that there had been 'no threat of arrest'. 'Will you accept you were giving Child Q the option of being strip searched or arrested?' Elliot Gold, for the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), asked. 'There were no options given like that,' the officer replied. 'Do you accept that saying that to a 15-year-old might make them feel frightened?' Mr Gold continued. 'Yes,' TDC Linge responded. 'Do you accept that saying that to a 15-year-old might make them feel under duress?' he asked. 'Potentially,' she responded. The panel heard that when asked previously what the officer had proposed to do if she found cannabis on Child Q, TDC Linge had answered: 'As per legislation, a juvenile found in possession must be arrested and brought to custody'. TDC Linge previously said Child Q had 'consented' to the search, but admitted under cross-examination on Thursday that this was not accurate. The officer confirmed she had completed equality training, including on unconscious bias and discriminatory stereotypes, and said she was 'aware' of stereotypes relating to black people. She told the hearing she did not 'see the relevance' of the fact Child Q was being questioned by two white police officers. Mr Gold asked: 'Would you accept that a stereotype of black people is they may more likely to be stopped and searched?' 'No,' TDC Linge replied. 'Would you accept that a stereotype of black people is they are more likely to be in receipt of use of force by police?' he continued. 'No,' she responded. The 46-year-old agreed there was no adult present in the room where the search happened who could have offered the child advice, assisted her in communication with police or ensured her rights were respected. TDC Linge denied she 'did not recognise Child Q as a child' and was, in effect, 'treating her as older than she was'. The former Pc previously admitted a series of failings in her actions during the incident, including not making a record of the search or considering proportionality, and recognised the search should not have happened, accepting it had caused the child 'harm and distress'. When asked whether she would have done anything differently had the circumstances been 'exactly the same' but Child Q had been white, TDC Linge replied: 'No.' The officer said that upon her arrival at the school, the deputy safeguarding lead was 'adamant' that the girl had cannabis on her and that the headteacher said she wanted to 'make sure' she was not 'carrying drugs for herself or others'. TDC Linge said she suspected Child Q was carrying a 'small amount' of cannabis, based on what she could smell and information from teachers. The panel heard the child informed the two officers who searched her that she was menstruating, but the search continued during which her sanitary pad was exposed. When no drugs were found after the strip search, Child Q's hair was also scoured. According to the allegations, Pcs Linge and Szmydynski performed a search that exposed the girl's intimate parts when this was 'disproportionate in all the circumstances'. Pcs Linge and Wray are also accused of performing or allowing the search in a manner which was 'unjustified, inappropriate, disproportionate, humiliating and degrading'. All of this happened without authorisation, in the absence of an appropriate adult, and with no adequate concern being given to Child Q's age, sex, or the need to treat her as a child, and that the child's race was an effective cause of this, it is also alleged. Pcs Szmydynski and Linge are further accused of giving a 'misleading record' of the search afterwards. On Wednesday, TDC Linge told the hearing she did not accept accusations of breaches of respect of authority and respecting courtesy. The girl will not be giving evidence at the tribunal 'because of the psychological effects that this strip search has had on her', the panel previously heard. Outrage over Child Q's treatment led to protests outside Stoke Newington Police Station. Scotland Yard has previously apologised over the incident. The hearing continues.
