The Children's Commission in Britain denounced the mistreatment of children during inspections in police stations, most of whom were later found innocent of the charges against them, after a report revealed that about 650 children were searched naked over a two-year period.
New data from the British police revealed that about 650 children were searched naked over a two-year period in the United Kingdom, and it later turned out that the majority of them were innocent of the suspicions directed against them.
Commenting on this, Rachel de Souza, Commissioner for Children in England, said she was not convinced that the force was "constantly considering the welfare of children", after police data showed that 23% of the cases investigated were not of adults ready for inspection.
De Sousa also expressed concern about the “racial” discrimination in these violations. The data showed that among the children aged 10 to 17 who were searched naked between 2018 and 2020, three out of five, or about 58 percent, were black.
De Sousa questioned the necessity of this "intrusive and shocking" practice after figures showed that in 53% of cases no further action was taken.
The commissioner launched her investigation after the outrage sparked by the case of Child Keough, a 15-year-old schoolgirl who was searched by female officers in 2020 after she was mistakenly suspected of carrying cannabis at her East London school.
The incident sparked protests for days after it emerged that the student had been searched without another adult present and her parents had not been contacted.
The report showed, according to De Suzy, the mistreatment of children and the racism that characterizes institutions in Britain.
Andy George, president of the National Black Police Association, said: "We still see these patterns of prejudice that always fall against the black communities."
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