Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has issued an apology after an inquiry, led by Dame Vera Baird, who worked as the victim’s commissioner between 2019 and 2022, found reports of inappropriate ‘punitive’ strip searches.
The inquiry examined 14 cases of 11 women and three men who had been treated unfairly by the GMP. The Baird Report details the findings, which suggested a lack of care for victims of abuse, forceful strip-searches on vulnerable individuals, and wrongful arrests.
Several men and women came forward to recount their experiences of feeling degraded and powerless while police strip-searched them without an explanation. For instance, one woman said: ‘The only reason they did what they did was to degrade me … If I was a man, I don’t think they would’ve done it. I was treated like a piece of meat.’ Another woman also said: ‘It was all about ‘power’. It was police on a power trip … to shut me up, make me scared, to show we’re boss, not you.’
The report details how strip searches can violate a person’s human rights, including Article 3, the right to freedom from degrading treatment and Article 8, which involves the right to respect for private life. Concerningly, Dame Vera Baird explained that the majority of the arrestees felt they were subjected to ‘punitive’ strip searching and stressed that ‘If this is, consciously or unconsciously, in whole or in part, how strip searching is ever used by GMP, it is unlawful and must stop now.’ She expressed hope that the inquiry would ‘drive change where it is – sometimes urgently – required in GMP’ to ‘promote a way of working in the police that will justifiably engender trust across the population and particularly among women.’
In response to the findings, Assistant Chief Constable and Director of Operational Standards of the College of Policing, Tom Harding, said the report’s findings made for ‘difficult, but necessary reading’ and stressed that: ‘Every person who comes into contact with the police must be treated with dignity and respect. This is the foundation upon which trust and confidence is built and without this, we cannot effectively serve the public.’
The College of Policing has been collaborating with GMP to ensure swift improvements and will support police forces nationwide to enhance custody protocols. Some of the recommendations include providing women with sanitary products and scrutinizing the use of strip-searches more closely. It has also been suggested that new immersive training for officers will be used to help to improve custody practices.
In their statement, the GMP said: ‘we have fully engaged with Dame Vera’s report and continue to provide all requested and available materials in relation to ongoing investigations relating to the inquiry.’
The full report is available here.
