Police Strip-Searches of Children Highlight Racial Disparities and Failures in Protection

A report by Children's Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza has revealed that children as young as eight are being strip-searched by police in England and Wales, with black children up to six times more likely to be searched than the overall child population. The report showed "deeply concerning" and "widespread" failures, with 2,847 children strip-searched from 2018 to mid-2022. More than half of the searches took place without an appropriate adult, and 51% of the searches led to no further action. The guidelines around strip-searches need to be strengthened urgently, said Dame Rachel, and parents should be informed in advance.