Two Met Police Officers Sacked After Strip Search of Child Q: Outrage and Calls for Justice
Two Metropolitan Police officers, Kristina Linge and Rafal Szmydynski, have been dismissed for gross misconduct following a strip search of a 15-year-old schoolgirl, known as Child Q, suspected of possessing cannabis. The search, conducted in 2020 with no appropriate adult present, was deemed “unnecessary” and “disproportionate” by the misconduct panel. While a third officer received a final written warning for misconduct, the panel did not find that race was a factor in the incident. The police have since apologized and acknowledged organizational failings in their handling of the situation and the traumatic experience for Child Q.
John Q. Hosedrinker