Children in police custody in England and Wales should ideally only be detained for serious offenses, and strip-searched in exceptional situations, according to two parliamentary reports. The research for the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on children in police custody includes distressing accounts from children who claim they experienced police racism and disrespectful comments during strip-searches. Two Metropolitan police officers were recently dismissed for strip-searching a schoolgirl, but the research indicates that some of the children who were strip-searched felt that their ethnicity was a factor.
Currently, children as young as 10 undergo similar procedures and have comparable legal protections to adults when detained. However, the MPs in the group suggest that detaining children should be a last resort and that initial detention should last no more than 12 hours – half the limit for adults. Dr. Miranda Bevan, who led an inquiry for the APPG, notes that detained children often have special needs or known vulnerabilities, and yet many are left alone in cells for extended periods without sufficient adult support, which can impede their ability to decide whether to seek legal representation.
The APPG proposes several reforms, including a ban on strip-searching children unless under absolutely necessary circumstances and requiring legal advice for all detained minors. Their evidence came from police forces, volunteers, experts, and firsthand accounts from 10 children who had been strip-searched. The testimonials reveal deep distress and violations of dignity, including one child who was subjected to a cavity search without an appropriate adult present and another who faced both physical discomfort and verbal abuse, including being called by ethnic slurs.
Alex Carlile, a barrister and officer of the APPG, emphasizes that children are not just smaller adults; they are vulnerable individuals in need of protection and understanding within the legal system.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jul/02/children-should-not-be-strip-searched-or-detained-unless-a-last-resort-say-mps
