On June 26, 2025, a disciplinary hearing concluded with two Metropolitan Police officers dismissed for gross misconduct following the strip search of a 15-year-old black schoolgirl, known as Child Q, at a Hackney school in east London. Trainee Detective Constable Kristina Linge and Police Constable Rafal Szmydynski were found responsible for an unnecessary, disproportionate, and humiliating search that exposed the young girl’s intimate parts while she was menstruating and without the presence of an appropriate adult. A third officer, PC Victoria Wray, was found guilty of misconduct and received a final written warning.
The strip search occurred on December 3, 2020, after school staff suspected Child Q smelled strongly of cannabis. Though teachers had searched her blazer, shoes, and school bag and found no drugs, police were called amid concerns she might be carrying drugs for others or be exploited, making it a safeguarding issue. The search was conducted in the school's medical room while teachers waited outside. Child Q’s mother was not informed of the search, and no senior officer gave authorization for the procedure, violating police protocols.
During the hearing, the misconduct panel described the search as unjustified, inappropriate, and disproportionate. The officers failed to respect Child Q's rights as a child, neglected to have an appropriate adult present, and did not properly record the search. The panel chair, Commander Jason Prins, stated the officers’ actions caused "enormous harm" to Child Q and significant damage to public trust in policing, especially within Black communities. He emphasized that dismissal without notice was the only suitable outcome for Linge and Szmydynski.
Child Q, who did not give evidence at the hearing due to psychological trauma, released a statement through her solicitor expressing the profound impact of the incident: "Someone walked into the school, where I was supposed to feel safe, took me away from the people who were supposed to protect me and stripped me naked, while on my period. I can't go a single day without wanting to scream, shout, cry or just give up. I don't know if I'm going to feel normal again. But I do know this can't happen to anyone, ever again." Her mother lamented the treatment her daughter received, questioning whether her race or appearance influenced the officers’ decisions and calling for greater accountability within the Metropolitan Police.
Despite widespread public concern and protests following the incident’s exposure in 2022, the misconduct panel did not find that race or adultification influenced the officers’ decisions. Commander Prins noted that the search was a "disastrous and negative interaction" but concluded that race was not the effective cause. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), however, had argued that race and lack of accountability were central factors in the case.
The Metropolitan Police acknowledged organizational failings, including inadequate training on strip searches and poor oversight of the power. Commander Kevin Southworth expressed deep regret, stating: "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 described the incident as a "catalyst for change" leading to improved procedures and a significant reduction in such searches.
Since the incident, the Metropolitan Police have implemented new safeguards: every strip search or more thorough search exposing intimate parts (known as MTIP searches) of children outside custody now requires authorization by an inspector-rank officer, mandatory safeguarding referrals, and the presence of an appropriate adult. These measures were cemented in the Metropolitan Police Service Children’s Strategy published in September 2024. Guidance has been issued to all frontline officers, and the Met is training over 20,000 officers and staff on risks related to adultification and child-first approaches.
Data shows a significant decline in MTIP searches on under-18s: between June 1, 2023, and May 31, 2024, 68 such searches were conducted with a 66.2% positive outcome rate; this fell to 42 searches between June 1, 2024, and May 31, 2025, with a 59.5% positive outcome rate—a 38.2% decrease. Positive outcomes indicate detection of criminality following a search. Before policy changes prompted by Child Q’s case, 232 MTIP searches on children were carried out between May 2021 and May 2022; this dropped to 101 in the following year, marking a 56% reduction.
Child Q’s case spotlighted broader issues of trust between Black communities and the police. Therapist Tanya Obeng noted, "There's a level of fear and I think for Caucasians, there's a level of safety. That is the disparity." Local resident Sharon Adams expressed ongoing distress, saying Child Q "didn't have a voice in that moment." The case has sparked calls for urgent reform from politicians and advocacy groups. Diane Abbott, Labour MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, stated, "There is no reason for strip searches in our schools and they should be banned," and called for a criminal investigation into the incident.
Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza described the case as "shocking and profoundly disturbing" and a "critical step in the pursuit of accountability." She warned many strip searches remain "unnecessary, unsafe and underreported," with racial disparities persisting. Her office’s report revealed a child was strip searched every 14 hours between January 2018 and June 2023, with an appropriate adult absent in 45% of cases. Lynn Perry, chief executive of Barnardo’s, highlighted that Black children are four times more likely to be strip searched than others, emphasizing the need for policing that respects children’s safety and dignity.
The IOPC director Amanda Rowe underscored the "significant and long-lasting impact" on Child Q’s wellbeing and public confidence. The IOPC has made recommendations to the Home Office to strengthen legislation around strip searches, including mandatory safeguarding referrals for any child subject to intimate searches.
While the officers involved face sanctions—the two dismissed without notice and one given a final written warning—the case has ignited a wider conversation about systemic racism, police accountability, and the protection of vulnerable children. Hackney Council has also responded, condemning the treatment of Child Q as "unjustifiable, degrading and humiliating," and reaffirming commitments to combating racism and unconscious bias in policing.
As the community and authorities await the detailed IOPC investigation report and officer sanctions, the Child Q case remains a stark reminder of the urgent need for reform in how law enforcement interacts with young people, especially those from marginalized backgrounds. It has become a catalyst for change, pushing for better training, clearer policies, and stronger safeguards to prevent such traumatic incidents from recurring.
