There was no parent, guardian or support person present for the strip search of the complainants, despite this being a legal requirement.
The inquiry found that the officers involved lacked proper training and had very little understanding, if any, of their legal requirements regarding strip searching.
NSW Police has promised to address the concerns to ensure violations do not happen again, but legal experts say this is not good enough.
“It has caused so much trauma throughout the community, it needs addressing. We’re not going to let it go away,” said Samantha Lee, police accountability solicitor at Redfern Legal Centre.
“why on earth are children allowed to be strip searched in the first place? The legislation allows for this, it needs to change.”
Watch the full clip here (ABC News, 8 May 2020)