In November last year, we revealed that Together, a coalition of children’s rights groups, had concerns about the possible strip-searching of children by police.
The group had submitted questions to Police Scotland about the extent of its use, but drew a blank because it was deemed to be too costly to retrieve the information.
Police Scotland’s response was depressing, but believable. The force continues to be dogged by clunky operational systems that inhibit the smooth collation of national data.
However, after a more detailed set of questions by submitted by the Sunday Herald, Police Scotland was able last week to confirm that strip searching of children has been taking place.
In just one month alone last year - spanning only a small number of the thirteen police divisions - the force removed the clothing of 21 children (if judged against the official UN definition of a child) during their investigations.
If this rate is proportionate across the country, a conservative estimate would suggest hundreds of children are being strip-searched every year.
We are not naive. Strip-searching of teenagers may be necessary if an officer judges that drugs or other illegal items are being hidden in places hard to view without a visual examination of the body.
However, as we learned from the debacle of stop and search, a huge number of frisks were unnecessary and disproportionate. Defenders of the force need to offer a better argument than “it keeps people safe”.
The force should recognise that strip searching of children is a controversial practice: the frequency of its use must be logged centrally and reported to the Scottish Police Authority.
To its credit, Police Scotland has recently rolled out a new national custody recording system, which should make data collection relatively simple. However, the information from between 2013 and 2016 may never come to light.
The initial reaction to our November story was also disappointing. Some senior figures associated with the force tried to downplay any suggestion that strip searching of children occurred. One former officer even boldly claimed it does not happen here. Guess what? It does.
A new code of practice on stop and search provides welcome clarity on the procedures for officers strip searching any individual. It also contains a section on children.
This new blueprint, coupled with a national custody recording system, will bring the disinfectant of sunlight to a practice kept in the darkness for too long.
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