UK officers moved to desk duties after strip search outcry

LONDON (AP) — London’s Metropolitan Police says two officers who strip-searched a Black teenage girl at her school have been moved from front-line duties after a public outcry over the case. A child safeguarding report conducted by local authorities found that the 15-year-old, who is only identified as “Child Q,” was strip-searched by female police officers at her school in 2020 without another adult present and with the knowledge that she was menstruating. The teenager’s teachers had called police after reporting that she smelled “strongly of cannabis.” The girl was searched in the school’s medical room, and her mother was not contacted in advance. No drugs were found. The report said racism was likely to have been a factor in the decision to undertake a strip search.