Source link : https://london-news.net/police-officer-concedes-errors-in-controversial-strip-search-of-15-year-old-girl-calls-for-better-training/
A police officer has acknowledged her failure in duties after being accused of conducting an unjustified strip-search on a 15-year-old Black girl at a school in East London. She admitted that the incident should never have occurred.
The girl, referred to as Child Q, was incorrectly suspected of having cannabis and was compelled to reveal her private areas at her Hackney school in December 2020.
No drugs were discovered, and a subsequent search of her hair conducted by officers yielded similar results.
Trainee Detective Constable Kristina Linge, one of the female officers involved in the strip-search, testified at a gross misconduct hearing that she acted in “good faith” but recognized the distress caused and offered her apologies.
When questioned about whether she would have acted differently had Child Q been white, the 46-year-old Det Con Linge replied, “no.”
Two additional officers, PC Victoria Wray and PC Rafal Szmydynski, face accusations of violating professional standards, having allegedly played a role in the “unjustified,” “disproportionate,” and “demeaning” strip-search.
All three officers deny any wrongdoing.
Despite acknowledging several shortcomings during the incident, Det Con Linge stated to the panel that she endeavored to ensure Child Q felt “as comfortable as possible.”
“I recognized that she was a minor and took precautions to minimize her embarrassment,” she explained.
Having joined the Metropolitan Police in 2018, Det Con…
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Publish date : 2025-06-11 15:28:00
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