Multiple cases of institutional racism have come to light ‘in just 24 hours’ – Runnymede Trust

Earlier this week three police officers involved in the “traumatic” strip search of a black teenager at her school were investigated for misconduct.

The search, by Metropolitan Police officers, took place in 2020 without another adult present and in the knowledge that she was menstruating, a safeguarding report published in March found.

It concluded the strip search should never have happened, was unjustified and racism “was likely to have been an influencing factor”.

She was taken to the medical room and strip-searched by two female officers, while teachers remained outside.

Intimate body parts

During the ordeal her intimate body parts were exposed and she was made to take off her sanitary towel, according to the review.

No drugs were found. She was then sent home by taxi, later sharing her distress with her mother.

Her family strongly believe the strip search was a racist incident, and the review found her experiences are “unlikely to have been the same” had she not been black.

Scotland Yard has apologised and said the incident “should never have happened”.

Runnymede Trust

The UK’s leading independent race equality think tank the Runnymede Trust highlights this horrific incident and two others in a truly harrowing thread, detailing three examples of institutional racism in the UK that have come to light in just 24 hours.

Read it in full below:

1.

In the last 24 hours, 3 horrendous cases of institutional racism have come to light 🧵

— Runnymede Trust (@RunnymedeTrust) March 16, 2022

2.

A young Black schoolgirl, #ChildQ, was taken out of an exam to be strip searched – without any adult supervision from her guardians – on suspicion of possessing cannabis, which she did not.

She was then sent back into her exam, traumatised and shaken. https://t.co/cXQc0Qe7FT

— Runnymede Trust (@RunnymedeTrust) March 16, 2022

3.

A report from prestigious @RoySocChem today shows that racism is 'pervasive' in chemical sciences.

Robert Mokaya, the ONLY Black professor in 575 chemistry professors across the UK, has been rejected for research funding for 15 years. https://t.co/OWbAfzrBgx

— Runnymede Trust (@RunnymedeTrust) March 16, 2022

4.

And @pcs_union have voted to withdraw from an investigation into institutional racism in the Cabinet Office, the heart of executive power in Whitehall, for 'showing no real desire to tackle discrimination.' https://t.co/zCLaVvHWPg

— Runnymede Trust (@RunnymedeTrust) March 16, 2022

They end the thread writing: “It could not be more obvious that Britain has problem with institutional and systemic racism. We do not need any more apologies or investigations without action. We need policy and a practice upheaval which will support ethnic minority people at all stages of their lives.”

It could not be more obvious that Britain has problem with institutional and systemic racism. We do not need any more apologies or investigations without action.

We need policy and a practice upheaval which will support ethnic minority people at all stages of their lives.

— Runnymede Trust (@RunnymedeTrust) March 16, 2022

And then followed on with: “Instead, we are facing an onslaught of draconian legislation in the #BordersBill, #PolicingBill, #ElectionsBill and #HumanRightsAct ‘overhaul’. Combined, these pose the most significant and sustained threat to Black and ethnic minority people’s civil rights in recent memory.”

Instead, we are facing an onslaught of draconian legislation in the #BordersBill, #PolicingBill, #ElectionsBill and #HumanRightsAct 'overhaul'.

Combined, these pose the most significant and sustained threat to Black and ethnic minority people’s civil rights in recent memory.

— Runnymede Trust (@RunnymedeTrust) March 16, 2022

Related: Dawn Butler accuses police of racial profiling after being stopped in Hackney