Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police
Gross misconduct and misconduct has been proven for three officers involved in the search of Child Q.
A disciplinary hearing found a number of allegations proven against trainee Detective Constable Kristina Linge, PC Victoria Wray and PC Rafal Szmydynski, each attached to Central East Command Unit which covers Hackney and Tower Hamlets.
The hearing did not find that the officers were influenced by Child Q’s race, nor that was she subject to adultification.
Commander Kevin Southworth said: “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.
“While the officers involved did not act correctly, we acknowledge there were organisational failings. Training to our officers around strip search and the type of search carried out on Child Q was inadequate, and our oversight of the power was also severely lacking.
“This left officers, often young in service or junior in rank, making difficult decisions in complex situations with little information, support or clear resources to help their decision-making.
“What happened to Child Q was a catalyst for change both for the Met and for policing nationally.
“While we should not have needed an incident such as Child Q to check our approach, it has absolutely led us to improving our processes and significantly reducing the number of these types of searches carried out.
“It’s crucial we get this right to ensure the impact on young people is minimised as far as possible.
“Sadly, we know there are children in London being exploited to carry drugs and weapons for others as well as involved in criminality, so these types of searches have to remain within police powers. The work we have done since Child Q means we now have the right safeguards in place.”
The search of Child Q took place on Thursday, 3 December 2020, when police were called to a Hackney school. Staff were concerned that a 15-year-old girl smelled strongly of cannabis and may have been in possession of drugs.
Two female officers conducted a more thorough search of the girl, that exposed intimate parts, in the medical room at the school.
No drugs were found.
The Met voluntarily referred the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct in May 2021 following complaints received.
The misconduct hearing concluded that the search on Child Q was unnecessary, inappropriate and disproportionate. It was carried out without authorisation from a more senior officer, without an appropriate adult present and a proper record was not made afterwards.
The hearing found T/DC Linge and PC Szmydynsk breached standards of professional behaviour in relation to authority, respect and courtesy, orders and instructions, duties and responsibilities and discreditable contact at the level of gross misconduct.
PC Wray breached standards in relation to authority, respect and courtesy, orders and instructions and duties and responsibilities at the level of misconduct.
Allegations against all the officers that they breached the standards of professional behaviour for equality and diversity were not proven.
Allegations that PC Szmydynski and TDC Linge breached standards for honesty and integrity for reportedly making a misleading record of the search were also not proven.
The misconduct panel is now considering sanction.
Progress since this case
Ensuring the safeguarding of every child who is searched is an absolute priority.
- Every strip search or more thorough search where intimate parts are exposed (an ‘MTIP search’ outside custody as carried out on Child Q) requires authorisation by a local officer of inspector rank. That inspector is also responsible for the administration of the search, including recording the rationale, and a mandatory safeguarding referral to relevant authorities. This has been cemented in our Metropolitan Police Service Children’s Strategy, published in September 2024.
- We have issued guidance to every frontline officer across the Met on the correct process, including the requirement for an appropriate adult to be present during the strip search or MTIP search of a child.
- We have linked in with policing nationally to share areas of learning from Child Q’s incident and ensure forces across the country are aligned.
- Recognising the wider community concerns that this case has raised regardless of today’s outcome, the Met is currently training more than 20,000 frontline officers and staff as part of a New Met for London around the risk of adultification and how to ensure a child-first approach in every instance.
- We continue to listen to communities and partners on what more we need to do around our processes. Hackney has an active community-led scrutiny panel which scrutinises the use of police powers across the borough.
- We continue to work closely in partnership with schools across London to keep children safe and prevent and detect crime.
- Following Child Q we reviewed all strip searches and MTIP searches across the Met and made a number of voluntary referrals to the IOPC. In a number of those cases the IOPC found officers acted correctly, in others we have progressed disciplinary matters and learning.
- We continue to publish data, which shows how the figures have significantly fallen on these types of searches, both inside and outside of custody:
Stops and Search – More Thorough Searches Dashboard | Tableau Public
Custody Dashboard | Tableau Public
For MTIP searches on those aged under 18:
A total of 68 were carried out between 1 June 2023 and 31 May 2024. The positive outcome rate was 66.2 per cent (45 individuals).
A total of 42 were carried out between 1 June 2024 and 31 May 2025. The positive outcome rate was 59.5 per cent (25 individuals).
This shows a decrease over this period in the number of searches carried out of 38.2 per cent. The overall positive outcome rate for this period was 63.6 per cent.
A positive outcome means when criminality of any type is detected following a search.
The number of MTIPs carried out on under 18s over this period was 7.3 per cent of the total for all ages.
The dashboard carries data from the last two years.
Prior to that, between 25 May 2021 and 24 May 2022 – a full year before we made changes to policy as the result of Child Q – a total of 232 MTIP searches on children were carried out.
Between 25 May 2022 and 24 May 2023 – a full year post policy change – a total of 101 MTIP searches on children were carried out.
This is a 56 per cent decrease.
On average in London, in the five years to 31 May 2025, we have each year seen 499 children (aged 17 and under) recorded as a victim of crime after being injured with a knife, not including domestic abuse related incidents.
Tragically, during that five-year period, 59 of those children were fatally stabbed.
An annual average of 432 children were arrested for possession with intent to supply drugs and an annual average of 1,626 were arrested for possession of an offensive weapon.