Priti Patel has been told to take “urgent action” against the Met Police as anger intensifies over the horrifying case of a 15-year-old Black girl being strip-searched at school.
More than 40 MPs have signed a letter to the home secretary asking her to outline how police and teachers will be held to account over the incident in Hackney, east London.
Hackney Council has also written to Patel demanding action, and accused the Met Police of obstructing a safeguarding report into the case of “Child Q” – who in 2020 was pulled out of an exam after her teachers called the police to investigate what they said was the smell of cannabis on her clothing.
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No other adult was present and her parents were not contacted. No cannabis was found. Three police officers involved are now being investigated for misconduct by police watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
The safeguarding review laying out the incident and the emotional impact on the girl was published this week and sparked widespread outrage over the failings of the school and police.