Child Q: Hackney mayor calls for school’s head teacher to resignon March 23, 2022 at 9:25 am

The head teacher of the school where a black pupil was strip-searched should resign, Hackney’s mayor says.

A safeguarding report found the search of the girl, 15, known as Child Q, in east London, was unjustified and racism was “likely” to have been a factor.

Child Q is suing the Met Police and her school in Hackney over the incident.

Philip Glanville tweeted: “We feel we’ve no choice but to express our lack of confidence in the current leadership of the school.”

He added: “[We] ask that the head teacher should stand down and allow that school and its community the new start it needs to heal from this traumatic experience and by doing so also fully recognise the traumatic impact on Child Q and her family.”

During the incident, the girl was taken out of an exam to the school’s medical room and strip-searched by two female Met police officers searching for cannabis, while teachers remained outside.

No other adult was present, her parents were not contacted and no drugs were found.

Her intimate body parts were exposed and she was made to take off her sanitary towel, according to the review.

Scotland Yard has admitted the officers’ actions were “regrettable” and it “should never have happened”.

On Monday, policing minister Kit Malthouse said the government is taking this matter “extremely seriously”.

He added the government would wait for the outcome of an Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation before announcing any changes to police training around strip searches.

The IOPC said a report on the incident is being “finalised”.

The incident has sparked days of protest across Hackney, near the site of Child Q’s school.

The school has not responded to repeated requests for comment.

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