I was shocked to hear that a 15-year-old school girl from Hackney was strip searched by the Metropolitan Police, without the presence of teachers, safeguarding officers or her parents. My constituents are rightly questioning how on earth this incident was allowed to happen, something I have asked myself. Last week, I attended LBC’s Iain Dale’s Cross Question radio show where I discussed the incident and voiced my support for a full investigation.

We need to understand how on earth this was allowed to happen. Furthermore, I hope the victim can receive the right help and care, especially given that her mother has said she is very traumatised and has begun self-harming. This school girl was failed in so many ways; by the police and her schoolteachers. We must ask ourselves what kind of society tolerates this treatment and what will we do about it.

It is absolutely disgraceful that the Home Secretary has not commented on this shocking incident, nor posted a statement on social media. Where is the Home Secretary? Instead of sending a clear message of support for this child and her family, she is hiding away and avoiding public scrutiny!

Diane Abbott, MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, has been extremely vocal on this incident and how it demonstrates that racism and misogyny is still widespread in the Met. You can read her column in the Guardian here. I will continue to call for an urgent investigation into this horrible incident. We must ensure that this can never happen again and that lessons are learnt.

I have also submitted the following Written Parliamentary Questions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions has he had with Hackney-based secondary school, in which a 15-year-old black student was strip searched by the Metropolitan Police, particularly to discuss the topic of student protection and welfare.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions has she had with the Metropolitan Police following the strip search of a 15-year-old black student in a Hackney-based secondary school.

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what discussions has he had with Hackney Council, following the strip search of a 15-year-old black girl in a Hackney-based school, conducted by the Metropolitan Police.