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'Treated like a piece of meat': Woman was strip searched for a vape by police - then handed a criminal conviction
Maria's treatment by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) was so shocking the chief constable described it as "undefendable".
Warning: This story includes graphic descriptions of strip searches and references to domestic violence. Yet a year after a high-profile inquiry found she had been "unlawfully" arrested and strip-searched, Maria now has a criminal conviction for the crime the inquiry said she should never have been arrested for.
The Baird Inquiry - named after its lead Dame Vera Baird - into GMP, published a year ago, found that the force made numerous unlawful arrests and unlawful strip searches on vulnerable women. A year on, the review has led to major changes in police processes.
Strip searches for welfare purposes, where the person is deemed at risk of harming themselves, are banned, and the mayor's office told Sky News only one woman was intimately strip-searched to look for a concealed item by GMP last year. Women had previously told Sky News the practice was being used by police "as a power trip" or "for the police to get their kicks".
However, several women who gave evidence to the Baird Inquiry have told Sky News they feel let down and are still fighting for accountability and to get their complaints through the bureaucracy of a painfully slow system. The case of Maria (not her real name) perhaps best illustrates how despite an inquiry pointing out her "terrible treatment.
Amir Nisi
Creative and experienced content writer with 6+ years of experience lazy to create unique content strategy for News5 to turn website visitors into customers.
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