cannabisnews.com: Police Defend Stripping And Searching





Police Defend Stripping And Searching
Posted by UaN on February 05, 1999 at 08:01:52 PT
Is this what it is coming to???
Australia A Perth mother has complained to the state ombudsman after police strip searched her 11-year-old daughter during a drug raid on the family home earlier this month. 
                     A Perth mother has complained to the state ombudsman after police strip                     searched her 11-year-old daughter during a drug raid on the family home                     earlier this month.                      Sue Thornton said her daughter was traumatised by the experience two                     weeks ago when she was told to take-off her underpants in the presence of                     a policewoman.                      "My little girl's lost all dignity and respect for police, she's traumatised," Ms                     Thornton told radio 6PR.                      "There's a destruction of trust and security there, she's innocent".                      But Superintendent Fred Zamagi of Mirrabooka district defended police                     procedures during the raid, saying that they were entitled to search anyone                     they reasonably suspected was in possession of drugs.                      Six police officers raided the home in Bayswater with a drug search warrant                     about 3pm on January 19 acting on a tip-off about Ms Thornton's                     20-year-old son who was caring for his sister at the time.                      No drugs were found but the 20-year-old was charged with possession of                     implements for smoking drugs, fraud and possession of stolen property.                      "There was a reasonable suspicion that the particular female may have had                     some possession of drugs," Supt Zamagi said.                      "...that is why an examination was carried out of this female, because she                     wanted to go to the toilet and prior to going to the toilet we had a                     policewoman attend and search her.                      "No doubt it seems a bit unusual. But it's not unusual in our eyes because we                     have found young people as young as 10 years of age in possession of                     drugs."                      Supt Zamagi said a 10-year-old boy had recently been found with cannabis                     hidden in his crotch after being searched at the Nollamara police station.                     Police had also found drugs hidden in babies' prams and nappies.                      Ms Thornton said she was annoyed that she was at work five minutes away                     and police did not contact her about the search.                      She said her daughter's room was not searched, but she was asked to strip                     in the laundry of the family home.                      "She was padded down and then her T-shirt was removed, and then her                     boxer shorts and her knickers were taken down," she said.                      Ms Thornton said her daughter wanted to go to the toilet but had to wait for                     a policewoman to arrive.                      "She was effectively arrested, she was denied her liberty," Ms Thornton                     said.                      But Supt Zamagi said it was unnecessary to contact Ms Thornton as the girl                     was in the care of her brother.                      A senior police officer would investigate the complaint and report to the                     Internal Investigation Unit (IIU) which would in turn report to the                     ombudsman, he said. 
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