An investigation led by BBC Radio 4’s File on 4 programme found that more than 13,000 young people under the age of 18 have been strip-searched in England and Wales since 2017. The programme said separate data showed that two-thirds of children who had been strip-searched by the Met over the past three years were from ethnically diverse backgrounds.

Olivia’s mother told the programme she believed “racial stereotyping” was also a factor in her daughter’s case.

Olivia had reportedly been out with some friends when they had a disagreement with two boys who called the police and alleged they were the victims of an attempted knifepoint robbery. Nothing was discovered when Olivia was searched by police but she and her friends were arrested.

At some point Olivia was found to be in possession of a blade from a knife, which her lawyer later argued she used to self-harm. She later appeared in court accused of possession of a bladed weapon and was acquitted.

“She was absolutely distraught. She said to me that they’d smashed her head on the cell floor and that they had [her] underwear off and that there was male officers there at the time as well,” her mother said.

“Not only that, Olivia was actually on her period at the time too. And they used, I don’t know whether it was a knife or a pair of scissors, to cut off her underwear in front of these grown male officers, which I feel is not right.”

Child Q: 7 more cases where Met police officers strip-searched children have been referred to a watchdog