London police find themselves implicated for the way they conduct full searches of under-18s, a new delicate case for Scotland Yard already in the grip of a crisis of confidence.
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On Friday, the British capital's police themselves made seven new reports to the British "
police force
", the IOPC, bringing the number of disputed cases examined to 10.
"
It is shocking and deeply worrying that so many cases ... have been reported to the IOPC
," said a spokesman for London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who has authority over London police.
“
Extremely concerned
”, the elected official asked for a review of all the integral excavations on minors “
to ensure that all the lessons are learned
”.
Traumatized young girl
The question erupted in the United Kingdom after the excitement aroused by the search inflicted in 2020 on a 15-year-old black teenager in the infirmary of her school establishment.
It had been carried out by two policewomen, without the presence of a third adult and while the girl was on her period.
Wrongly suspected of having concealed cannabis, the young girl had been deeply traumatized by this affair, which had given rise to several demonstrations in the London district of Hackney.
A Child Protective Services report concluded in March that such a search should “
never
” have been conducted and that “
racism (whether deliberate or not) was likely a contributing factor. influenced the decision
" to carry it out.
In a statement on Friday, London police said they had "
already made changes
" to the way they work, so that officers take "
the child first
" and a "
safeguarding approach
".
Scotland Yard points out that it has also begun to review several complaints relating to searches exposing private parts carried out outside police premises over the past three years.
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Kidnapping, murder and rape committed by an officer, cases of racism, London police, committed to their tradition of consensus with the population, have been rocked in recent months by a series of high-profile cases which have led to a crisis of confidence and the resignation of its leader Cressida Dick, who still has not been replaced.
